Vacation That Changed Everything
by Gromia
Summary: Second in the series. This one has also undergone a bit of revising. Three years have passed since the events of Blue. Kwame comes up with a plan that will be a pleasant surprise for Cap. But everything doesn't go as planned...
1. Kwame's plan

**A/N:** Just like with **Blue** I felt this one also needed something to be done to it. **Please R&R.**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing related to Captain Planet and the Planeteers. But Kim and Buddy are still mine.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Kwame's plan**

The Planeteers were enjoying the sunny day on the beach of Hope Island.

"I wonder, how long will this last?" This from Wheeler. "It's been too quiet." It had been quiet in the eco-emergency department for a couple of days. The Fire Planeteer didn't mind it much, though.

"You need a break once in a while," Cap told him, sitting under a palm tree. The superhero was spending some free time with the Planeteers for a change. "Wouldn't mind some action by now, though," he admitted.

"Try to relax for a change, Cap," Gi told him, although she knew it would fall on deaf ears. "It would do you good."

"It's not my job to relax, Gi," the eco-hero reminded her predictably.

"Well, you haven't had a break like this in a long time, Cap," Wheeler said. "The last one was with…" he stopped, realizing what he had been about to say.

"…with Kim," Cap finished, seeming unfazed. "That was what you were going to say, right?" The boy nodded, not sure what to say next.

Cap knew why Wheeler was so uneasy and smiled a little. "It's OK. I'm not gonna fall apart every time she's mentioned." It hadn't always been like that and it still made him feel a little down. "Sure, the pain is still there, but I've learned to live with it." He sighed and absently made a pattern in the sand with a finger. "I do miss her but I've long ago accepted the fact that I may never see her again."

He looked out to sea wistfully, his hand going to his forehead where the cut had been three years ago. There was nothing there now, him having faded the scar.

It was obvious the Cap's feelings for the woman hadn't diminished at all over the years. It had taken him the better part of a year to get over the loss of the woman he had met. Even after that he had been subdued, but closer to his usual self. Despite that he had done his job as well as before, proving Gaia's fears wrong. The superhero had tried to deny his feelings went as far as love but eventually he had had to admit the truth: that he was irrevocably in love with Kim.

Gaia appeared among them. "Your wish is granted, Planet. We have an eco-emergency."

Cap was glad to have something to do again. "I'll be going then," he said without further ado. "The power is yours!" He made his exit, returning the powers to the rings.

Kwame hadn't forgotten Kim's words about going to her cabin. They just hadn't had a chance for it in three years. Sure, they had had a day here and there and sometimes even two but that had been it. The Planeteer of Earth decided to talk to the spirit of Earth as soon as he got the chance.

He glanced at the pattern that Cap had made in the sand. It was a heart with the letter K inside it.

* * *

Later, after a few busy days, Gaia announced that the Planeteers could go on a vacation, telling them she didn't sense any upcoming emergencies in the near future and they were entitled to it.

"How long will this vacation be, Gaia?" asked Kwame.

"Long enough so you can go ahead with that plan of yours, Kwame," Gaia replied and smiled.

"What plan?" Wheeler asked.

"Let us go in the common hut and I will tell you," the African said.

The five of them filed out of the Crystal Chamber and gathered in the common hut. "So what's this plan of yours, Kwame?" Gi asked, sitting down on a chair, arms on the backrest.

"I was thinking that we could take up on Kim's offer to spend some time at her cabin," Kwame replied. "It would be a nice surprise for Captain Planet."

"For Kim too, I'm sure," Wheeler added. "But I thought Gaia didn't approve of Cap's feelings for her, thinking it will distract him."

Kwame grinned. "I talked to her a couple of days ago. She admitted she had worried over nothing. I told her about my plan and that Captain Planet needs this. She had to agree on that and told me it is our own business where we spend our free time."

The superhero and Gaia hadn't talked much during the three years. If the two had done so, Cap would know the spirit had had a change of heart where Kim was concerned.

"Go, Kwame." The two high-fived.

"So when do we leave?" Gi asked eagerly, standing up.

"As soon as we have packed," Kwame said.

It didn't take long and they gathered beside the Geo-Cruiser. Wheeler had a surfboard with him.

"Wheeler, you cannot take that with you," Linka told him. "Kim has a lake not an ocean."

Wheeler looked embarrassed. "Oh yeah. Got a little carried away there, babe." He placed the surfboard against one of the palm trees.

Linka shook her head in amusement. "Just a little?"

Everyone got aboard the small plane. Kwame took the pilot's seat, setting the course. "Good thing I saved the co-ordinates when we were there," he said and smiled. "Just in case."

The Geo-Cruiser lifted off into the sunny sky. "What if she is not alone when we get there?" Linka asked.

"I can check once we are closer," Ma-Ti offered. The Kayapo hoped things hadn't changed much, for the superhero's sake, if no one else's.


	2. Encounters

**Chapter 2: Encounters**

The Geo-Cruiser passed the once clearing that Dr. Blight had made in her crazy search for another Tree of Life. The trees had grown back long since.

Soon the cabin came into sight. Things hadn't changed much, except that the vegetable garden looked to be freshly turned.

Ma-Ti used his ring. "Heart." After a pause he said, "I can only sense Kim and Buddy there."

With a nod Kwame landed the Geo-Cruiser at the edge of the clearing the cabin was in. The five walked up to the cabin and Kwame knocked on the door. It didn't take long for Kim to come and open it.

"Hello, Kim," the Earth Planeteer greeted her, a smile on his face.

"Planeteers!" Kim exclaimed. She smiled warmly, obviously glad to see them. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"That was the idea," Wheeler commented.

"It is good to see you are well, Kim," Ma-Ti said.

"You're all looking well, too," she observed. "Had a chance to take some time off from saving the planet, huh?"

Kwame nodded. "We would have come sooner if we had had a chance to," he told her. "I hope we are not intruding."

"Of course not." She looked around, hoping to see a certain someone. "Is Captain Planet with you?"

"Not yet, but we will call him as soon as we have gotten our bags out of the Geo-Cruiser," Ma-Ti assured her with a grin. "This is a surprise for him, too."

Before Kim could reply to that, Buddy was there, greeting them with a very wet tongue. "He still remembers you," Kim said with relief as she tried to restrain her dog's shows of affection. "Buddy! That will be quite enough!" Gradually, Buddy settled down.

"Let's get your things then, shall we?" she suggested, barely containing her excitement at getting to see Cap again.

"She can hardly wait to see him," Ma-Ti whispered to Kwame as the group made their way to the yellow plane. The Kayapo didn't need his ring to determine that, it was so obvious.

"You can stay in the guestroom," Kim told the five. "I'll just have to take out a couple of extra mattresses."

"We brought our own bedclothes so you do not have to worry about those," Linka said. It wouldn't have been a problem for Kim to give them some of hers but it was OK with her.

They got their bags out of the plane and Kim helped carry them upstairs to the guestroom. After that the group gathered back outside a ways from the cabin to call Cap. Kim told Buddy to lie down and stay. The dog obediently lay down near her.

"I've never been as nervous as I am now," she confessed to the five.

The woman went to stand under a nearby tree. After all, it wouldn't be a proper surprise if Cap saw her or recognized the place immediately after he was summoned.

The Planeteers raised their right fists. "Let our powers combine!" Kwame initiated the summoning. "Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Heart!"

The five powers came together and merged to form the superhero. "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"

The Planeteers didn't bother with their usual "Go Planet!" this time. This wasn't a mission, after all.

Cap could see that as he landed. "What's the deal, Planeteers?" If he had looked around, he would have most probably recognized the place. But the Planeteers held his attention well enough.

As silently as possible, Kim sneaked behind him, afraid the hero would hear her at every step.

"We have a surprise for you," Linka said, smiling.

Cap frowned. "A surprise? What…?"

He was cut off when a pair of hands covered his eyes and a voice asked, "Guess who?"

Cap whirled around and saw Kim's smiling face. Brown eyes met green. For a while the superhero just stared. "Kim?" he got out when he found his voice again. "Is it really you or am I seeing things?"

Kim took his hand and placed it against her cheek. "I'm quite real." Then she couldn't contain herself anymore and threw herself against him, holding him tightly. "Oh, I didn't realize just how much I've missed you." Unbidden, tears ran down her cheeks. But they were happy tears this time.

Kim was enfolded in arms as warm as she remembered. "I've missed you too, Kim," Cap said. "More than you know." He held her close to him, still not quite believing this was happening.

After a while they pulled back from each other a little. Gazing at him, Kim discovered his eyes still had the same effect on her as three years ago. They were so gentle and kind. Not to mention his smile.

The kiss that followed was quite a passionate kiss with three years of yearning behind it.

It was then that Buddy decided to get up and run to the two. He pawed at their legs and barked, jumping around them happily. "He's as glad to see you as I am," Kim said, deciding not to reprimand the dog for disobeying.

Cap knelt down on one knee. "How're ya doin' boy?" He had to restrain Buddy a bit or the dog would have soaked his face with his tongue. "I'm glad to see you too, but that's enough already." Reluctantly, Buddy settled down. Cap scratched him behind the ears. "Good boy."

He stood up and turned to Kim again. She pressed up against him. "Oh, Blue. I had given up hope of ever seeing you again."

Cap smiled. He had missed that name and was glad she still remembered it. "Me too, love."

The pair was so immersed in one another that they had practically forgotten they were not alone. It took another bout of excitement from Buddy to break the trance.

"This was a really pleasant surprise, Planeteers," Cap said, when he and Kim turned to the five, his arm around her shoulders. The brunette had her head on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around the superhero's waist. "Whose idea was it, anyway?" He wanted to thank the person for the nice surprise he or she had thought up for him.

"That would be him," Wheeler said, indicating Kwame. The said Planeteer grinned.

"Thanks, Kwame," Cap said with a smile, placing a hand on the African's shoulder. "I'm very grateful for this."

"You are welcome," Kwame said. "But seeing you happy again is thanks enough." The change in the eco-hero was indeed noticeable.

Wheeler's stomach growled. Everyone turned to look at him. "What? I'm just hungry."

"I hope you have enough food," Cap said quietly to Kim. "He's got a big appetite."

"We'll have to do some shopping, then," she said. "But I think I have some pizza available for now. Oh, that reminds me. How long are you planning on staying?"

"We do not really know," Kwame replied. They hadn't agreed on that before leaving.

"Well, it doesn't matter really," Kim said. "I got a month's vacation ahead and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than this."

"My thought exactly," Cap said, smiling at her. He would make the most of this stay, whether it was long or short.

Wheeler's stomach growled again. Kim gave laugh. "Let's get you something to eat."

As the group headed for the cabin, Cap picked Kim up off the ground and carried her. She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"You know, I've missed that too," he told her, grinning.

As they got to the verandah, he opened the door and led the way inside, setting Kim down on the steps leading upstairs.

"Go get that pizza, Wheeler," she told the redhead. The other four admitted being hungry too, so the five of them shared the pizza.

Kim and Cap went to the living room. He noticed a familiar crystal rose in a vase on the table. It sparkled in the sunlight flooding from the windows. She had obviously taken good care of it.

"At first I kept it on my bedside table upstairs, but it didn't help me to sleep any," she told him, an arm around his waist. "I would just stare at it."

"Well, this is a much better place for it, with the sun and all," Cap said observed.

Kim nodded. "Yeah, it is. When my parents came for a visit they asked me where I had got it from."

"What did you tell them?"

She fondled his cheek. "That I had gotten it from a very special guy as a present."

Cap grinned. "That's true enough."

Kim smiled and gazed at the superhero, her heart in her eyes. Linka, who happened to peek in the living room from the kitchen, took the hint. "Come on, guys," she said to the others. "We should give those two some privacy."

"You're right, Linka," Gi said, seeing what she meant. "Come on, Buddy. Let's go play fetch or something."

The dog seemed to recognize the word and with a glance at his mistress with a dog version of a smile, followed them outside. The other three took their snacks and did the same.

Thanking the Planeteers silently, Cap smiled and led Kim to the couch. He fondled her cheek and took the woman in his arms, kissing her. She pulled him down on the couch.

All of a sudden Cap winced. "What's the matter?" Kim asked.

"Something's wrong," he said, frowning. "I can feel it."

It didn't take long until the source was revealed. Gi and Kwame ran in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Buddy's hurt," Gi said. "Stepped into a trap."

As the pair told them that they couldn't tell how bad the damage to Buddy's leg was, Cap had his hand on Kim's shoulder to give her some reassurance.

The pair followed the two 'Teers to the scene. They could hear Buddy's whimpers long before arriving. Ma-Ti, Linka and Wheeler were there, trying to keep the dog calm. They had tried to remove the trap as evidenced by a stick between its teeth but had had no luck. The jaws of the thing had been too sturdy.

As Kim caught sight of her dog, she ran to him. "Oh, Buddy!" she exclaimed as she knelt down. The dog howled in pain. "Please, Blue. Help him!" Kim pleaded.

"I will," Cap said soothingly and thought it best to calm the dog down first utilizing his Heart power. Then the superhero knelt down. "Hold him still," he told Kim, taking hold of the metal thing and broke it to pieces.

The trap had cut deep. Kim tried to figure out how to stop the bleeding. Since there was nothing else available, she ripped out a piece of her shirt for a makeshift bandage. Kwame helped her to lift Buddy into her arms.

"I better check if there are more of those things lying around," Cap said. "I'll be back." A not so good imitation of Terminator. The superhero dived deeper into the forest.

The others headed back to the cabin. It wasn't long before they could see something black fly up into the sky from the forest. As they watched, it disappeared from sight.

"Found a couple of dead animals trapped in them, too," Cap told them as he rejoined the group. "And judging from the condition they were in they've been there for quite a long time."

"You mean somebody just left the traps there and didn't bother to come and check on them?" Kim asked, eyes wide with shock.

The superhero nodded. "Well, they won't bother anyone anymore."

"Thanks to you," Kim said and gave him a kiss.

Cap smiled. "I just felt it was the right thing to do," he said.

Kim figured it might be better to take the dog to the vet's to check his leg. "I'll put a proper bandage on it first."

The group returned to the cabin and she put a bandage on Buddy's leg after applying some antiseptic first. Then she called the vet and was told she should stop by as soon as possible.

Gi offered to give her a lift with the Geo-Cruiser. "We could do the shopping after the visit to the vet's," the Asian girl suggested as they got aboard the small plane.

"Good idea," Kim agreed. "I'll call you when we have some news," she told the others, leaving her cell phone. The small plane lifted off and flew away.

The others tried to think of something to do while waiting for them to come back. Cap kept glancing at the phone occasionally. He hoped the news would be good instead of bad.

It took about a half an hour before the call came. Linka answered the phone. "Hello? Da, I will tell them. See you soon." She hung up and joined the others. "Good news," the Russian said. "Buddy is leg is not broken. They are going to do some shopping and then will return." Everyone was relieved to hear that.

Soon Gi and Kim were back. Kim put Buddy on a blanket in front of the fireplace. The dog had a much lighter bandage on his leg now. Cap went to give Kim a hug and the dog a scratch and helped unload the shopping bags.

Now that excitement was over, Wheeler wanted to go for a swim. The others were also game so the five went upstairs to change to their swimwear. Both Cap and Kim were glad of the chance to be alone even if it was just for a short time.

"To be honest, love, I thought you would be involved with someone by now," the superhero said to the woman. He didn't really know why he had said that but it was the truth nonetheless. Even if they couldn't be together, he wanted her to find someone to share her life with.

"I did try," she told him. "But it didn't work out. Partly because of Buddy. The guy told me I had to choose between him and my dog." Kim put her arms around his waist. "And I couldn't seem to forget you."

"I couldn't forget you, either," Cap told her, stroking her hair. "But you deserve to be happy."

"Well, tell that to him." She jerked her head at Buddy.

He knelt down in front of Buddy. "What is it with you and strangers, huh? Don't you want your mistress to be happy?"

The dog woofed and whined. Through his Heart power, the superhero could tell what Buddy had to say. "Oh, really?" Cap sighed. "Well, that's not possible." The dog tilted his head. "Because it just isn't."

'_I wish I could do that,'_ Kim thought, envying the superhero's ability a little.

Cap stood up, looking a bit shocked. "What did he tell you?" the brunette asked, concerned that it was something she wouldn't like.

He glanced at Buddy before answering. "That he would want you and me to be a couple."

The woman still remembered how heartbroken the superhero had been because he had had to leave. Why had her dog had to remind of him of that? "Well, he did like you from the first, didn't he?" she said.

The superhero smiled a little. The dog had indeed, although it might have been thanks to his Heart power more than anything else. At least at first.

Kim wrapped her arms around his waist. "But I like you more, superhero of mine."

They were interrupted when the Planeteers came back downstairs, dressed in their swimsuits, towels over their shoulders. They also had hats on their heads.

Despite the superhero wanting to spend time with the woman in private, the pair nonetheless decided to join the five at the lake because it was Kim who wanted to go. Besides, it was a beautiful day and it would be a shame to waste it being cooped up inside even if they would get to be alone. There would be ample chances for that later.

The brunette dashed upstairs to change into her bikini. She came back downstairs with a towel over her arm and she had tied her hair into a ponytail, wearing a hat. She asked Cap to put some sun block onto her back. This was a telltale sign to the superhero that she was going for a tan. Some things never changed.

Buddy would have wanted to go with them. "You can't come with us, boy," Kim told him. "Your bandage will get wet." The dog settled back down with a sigh. "Good boy."

The group went to the lake. Kim spread the towel on the grass and sat down on it. It was a jumbo-sized one and was big enough for both her and Cap. They sat on it in each other's arms, the superhero running his fingertips along the woman's arm.

He happened to touch a sensitive spot. Kim tried to smother a giggle, not succeeding. "Oh, ticklish are you?" He grinned mischievously.

"You wouldn't dare," Kim challenged him, wanting to see what he'd do.

Cap stuck out his tongue at her. "Watch me." He ran his fingertips along Kim's side. She giggled again. Then the superhero used both hands and tickled her all over. Kim squealed and twisted but didn't even try to get away.

After a while Kim needed to catch her breath and tried to tell that among her giggles to the one "torturing" her. "Stop! (giggle) Planet, (giggle) stop already! (giggle) I need to (giggle) catch my breath."

The message got through and Cap stopped. He found himself on top of Kim, his arms and legs on either side of her on the towel, which was now a twisted heap. He rolled off her, taking his previous place beside her.

"That… was… fun," she gasped out as she tried to get her breathing to normal again.

"I just have to remember to take it easy next time," Cap said.

"What makes you think there will be a next time?" Kim asked. In truth, she didn't mind if this happened again. She tried to tickle him but he just smiled. Now it was her turn to stick out her tongue at him. "You're no fun. But I'll get you yet. You just wait."

Cap grinned. She was welcome to try. All he knew was that he wasn't as ticklish as she was. "I think I'm gonna go for a swim now."

She smiled. "Go ahead. I'm gonna catch some rays." First, she straightened the towel, though.

The superhero was going to ask her to join him instead but if she wanted to get a tan, who was he to object. He was going to caution her not to catch too many rays but decided not to, figuring she knew what she was doing.

Taking a drink of water from her bottle, Kim asked Kwame, who was nearest to her, "Doesn't he have any part in that body of his that tickles?"

Kwame gave a laugh. "I really do not know. You have to keep trying."

"Oh, I will." She lay down again, arranging her hat so that the sun hit her face.

"How's the water, Gi?" Cap was asking, standing on the water's edge.

"Just perfect," Gi replied. "Jump in."

Cap noticed Wheeler lying on an air mattress he had brought with him some distance from the beach. "I thought Wheeler wanted to swim. Has he even gotten himself wet yet?"

"I do not think so," Ma-Ti answered from where he was beside the jetty.

The superhero grinned mischievously again. He waded in and soon disappeared below the waves. For obvious reason there were no bubbles to indicate his path.

"What on earth is he up to?" Linka wondered, although she assumed it had something to do with Wheeler.

They got their answer when the air mattress the American was lying on capsized and he was thrown in the lake with a splash. The redhead came to the surface spluttering.

"Bozhe moy!" the blond Russian exclaimed.

"Cap!" Wheeler yelled when he discovered who the culprit was. "I could've drowned."

"No, you wouldn't." Cap told him. "I know you're a good swimmer." The New Yorker had experienced enough wipeouts with his surfboard and windsurfer both to have to be.

Laugher could be heard from the beach. "Are you alright, Yankee?" Linka called.

"He's fine, Linka," Cap called back. "Just wet. Which is supposed to happen when one is swimming." The superhero looked pointedly at the redhead when saying that.

"Did ya have to take it so literally?" Wheeler grumbled.

"Coming here really did him good," Gi said quietly to Kwame. He nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. The superhero was back to his old self again.

"That was refreshing," Cap said as he rejoined Kim after letting Wheeler off his back, having given the redhead a lift back to the beach. "Good thing your lake is clean, love."

"It shows, Blue. You're almost glowing." Kim knew that the superhero got his strength from the elements, water being one of them.

"Oh, I don't think the water has anything to do with _that_," Cap said with a grin as he lay down beside her, propped up by his elbows.

Just as Kim was about to kiss him, a gruff voice said in an Australian accent, "Is this a private shindig? Or can anyone join?"

All of them turned to look who it was. Cap would've recognized the voice even without seeing the man, thanks to the numerous times he had dealt with him and his boss. Why hadn't his Heart power warned him?

"Bleak!" Wheeler exclaimed.

The superhero got up. They just couldn't seem to get to relax without something cropping up every few minutes. "This is an unpleasant surprise, Bleak." Seeing the traps the man was holding, he added, "Should have known you're responsible for the traps."

"Yeah, so?" Bleak gruffly asked.

Hearing that this man was responsible for the injury in her dog's leg Kim's temper flared and she would have gone at the man but Cap stopped her. "Easy. He's not worth it."

Bleak whistled. "Who's the chick, Planet?"

"None of your business, Bleak." He placed himself between Bleak and Kim, not about to let the man get to her.

"My my. Aren't we testy today," Bleak said.

Wheeler, being one who rarely thinks before he acts, jumped on the bald man. Bleak easily threw him off.

"Are you alright, Wheeler?" Cap asked, concerned.

"Just peachy," was the reply.

That distraction was just what Bleak needed. Blowing a big cloud of cigar smoke in the superhero's face, Bleak stepped over to Kim. She could only gasp as Cap fell to his hands and knees, coughing.

"Captain Planet!" the Planeteers exclaimed in unison.

"Come on, sweetheart, give us a kiss," Bleak cooed, if you could call it that, pursing his lips at Kim.

"Stay away from me," she told him firmly, taking a step back. But Bleak ignored her protests and grabbed her wrists, pulling her to him. "Ow! You're hurting me!"

This spurred Cap into action. He got up and walked over to them. "That's no way to treat a woman, Bleak," the superhero said and grabbed the man by his vest. Taking hold of Bleak's pants with his other hand, he said, "Go cool down," and threw the man into the lake.

Next Cap grabbed the traps Bleak had dropped on the sand. "And I don't think you'll be needing these," he said, melted the traps into a big lump and threw them up into the sky. As before, they disappeared from sight.

Bleak sloshed to the beach, his clothes dripping and spitting water. "I'll get you for this, Planet," he growled.

Cap ignored that. His face was grim as he looked at the mercenary. "As far as I know, this is private property." The superhero held Kim protectively by his side.

"Yeah, so get outta here or I'll call my dog!" Kim threatened, although she knew it to be an empty threat because Buddy's leg.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Bleak sneered, not taking the threats of a woman that seriously.

With a motion, Cap raised up a breeze, which lifted the man off the ground. The breeze turned into a small tornado, and Bleak went around and around a few times. Then the superhero snapped his fingers, and the wind stopped dead, dropping the baldy face first onto the sand.

Bleak spat most of the sand from this mouth. "Alright, alright! I'm goin'!" As he left, a grin creased his lips. He had watched the group for a while before showing himself and seen certain things. _'The boss would want to hear about this.'_

"That was incredible," Kim said and smiled. "Good riddance."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Cap commented affectionately, giving some attention to her wrists, his hands acting as ice packs. They had red marks where Bleak had held her.

"Let's hope we've seen the last of him while we're here," Wheeler said nursing a bruised elbow.

"I cannot help it," Ma-Ti said. "But I have a bad feeling about that."

"Don't sweat it, little buddy," Wheeler said confidently. "I'm sure he won't be coming back anytime soon. Not after the treatment Cap gave him."

The superhero hoped the American was right.


	3. Things revealed

**Chapter 3: Things revealed**

"Who was that brute, anyway?" Kim wanted to know.

"Bleak? He is Looten Plunder's lackey," Ma-Ti replied.

"Plunder? Why would he have men like that working for him?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I thought he's an honest businessman."

"He's far from honest, Kim," Cap told her. "We've dealt with him many times." He looked the woman over. "What's this I see? Someone hasn't gone for a dip in the lake at all, hmm?" The superhero quirked an eyebrow.

She grinned. "Who me?"

"Yes, you." He touched the tip of her nose. "Like I told Wheeler, going swimming means you get wet." With that he grabbed Kim around the waist.

"Put me down!" she screamed as Cap walked to the jetty, realizing what he was about to do. "Planet! Put me down now! I ca-."

But before she could finish the superhero dropped the woman in the lake. Luckily for her, the spot where she landed was shallow enough so her feet reached the bottom. Standing up, Kim directed an angry look at him that would have wilted flowers.

Cap grinned. "Getting wet never hurt anybody, love. Would you stop with the death-stare already?"

Kim didn't think it was so funny, though. "_If_ you had let me finish, wise guy," she told him, splashing water in his direction. "I would've let you know why this could've been a bad idea." Especially if he had dunked her further from the beach.

The grin faded. Had he gone too far? Cap could both see and sense how upset she was. "What is it, love?"

"I can't swim, that's what," the soaked woman informed the confused superhero.

That possibility had never crossed his mind, having assumed that since there was a lake on her property the woman could swim just as well as anybody he knew. If he had known otherwise, he would never have done what he had.

Cap jumped back into the lake and hugged her. "I'm sorry, honey. Had I known, I wouldn't have pulled that stupid stunt." He was glad he hadn't dropped her to where the water was deeper. On his short diving expedition the superhero had seen how steep the bottom was. It was far from even. If he had dropped her at the end of the jetty, the woman would have probably... No, better not to think about that.

Kim could see how shaken the superhero was. "It was my fault, really," she admitted. "For not telling you. I guess I thought it didn't matter." Now she knew how wrong she had been. How could she have known what he would do? They really should get to know each other better.

"It matters to me," he told her, holding her close. Such a little thing that could have caused something serious. Maybe the woman would have told him if he had asked her to swim with him and the incident that followed would have been prevented. "From now on, please tell if there's anything I need to know," Cap requested, stroking the woman's wet hair. "No matter how trivial it seems."

Kim nodded, telling herself to remember that. "I will."

Gi, who was at home in the water, suggested she could teach her so the brunette would be able to enjoy her lake with them. Figuring it was about time she learned, Kim agreed.

"But that will have to wait till tomorrow," Cap pointed out. It was getting dark.

Gathering their stuff, the group went back inside. The Planeteers decided to make their beds ready so that they wouldn't have to worry about that later. First, they put their towels out to dry in front of the fireplace though, which Cap lit with a blast of fire. Then the five went to put on T-shirts and shorts and put the swimsuits with the towels.

Cap helped with the mattresses, carrying the two that Kim had to the guestroom. There was a bed for two, so the rest would have to sleep on the mattresses. The Planeteers dug the bedclothes from their bags and made the beds ready. They realized two would have to share.

A giggle from the bathroom, followed by Cap's voice. "Really, Kim. You can't be that sensitive."

"Just get out of here and let me dry my hair in peace, alright?" Kim said.

The superhero offered to give her hair some heat treatment to help her but the brunette didn't want to take advantage of his abilities at every turn. And she was afraid too much heat would ruin her hair.

"But thanks for offering, anyway," she said with a smile.

Leaving the woman in peace to take care of her hair, Cap joined the Planeteers in the guestroom. The five were still debating who was going to sleep where. He stayed out of that, letting them settle it themselves. He knew where he would be spending the night.

"We have to settle this somehow," Kwame said. "How about you two share the bed," he suggested to Wheeler and Linka. "And Gi and I will share a mattress. That OK with you, Linka?"

The Russian nodded. "Just remember to behave yourself, Yankee," she told the redhead.

That settled, the group went back downstairs and sat on the couches or on the floor. Kim snuggled up to Cap and he put his arm around her. Buddy crowded in beside them, putting his head on Kim's lap.

"What would you like to do, guys?" she asked, stroking Buddy's head. "I do have games that we could play."

"How about a movie?" Wheeler asked, checking her selection.

"Alright then, if you find one you want to watch." The American did and they settled down to watch.

It wasn't long before Kim yawned. "I shouldn't have gotten out of bed so early today," she said. "I think I'll turn in now." The brunette looked at Cap. "Want to stay down here for the night or join me upstairs?"

Cap smiled. It had been a clear reference to when they had met. "The couch doesn't feel very appealing so I'll join you." He stood up with her. "G'night, kids. Don't stay up too late."

Promising they wouldn't, the Planeteers decided not to ask what that exchange had been about. Whatever had happened between them was their business.

Cap and Kim climbed the stairs to the second floor. Buddy limped after them. The pair snuggled close to each other on the bed.

He gave her a kiss. "Good night, love."

"Good night," Kim replied and closed her eyes.

Gazing at her for a minute, Wheeler's words came back to him. The superhero hoped they would be left in peace. Sighing, he closed his eyes too.

After about an hour he heard the Planeteers going to bed as well.

* * *

Earlier that same day…

Bleak went straight to his boss, after being pestered by the secretary, who told him Mr. Plunder didn't want to be disturbed. "Trust me, he'll want to hear what I have to say," Bleak told her, opened the door and went in.

Looten Plunder was on the phone. "Hey, boss," the baldy said. "I think you…"

"Shut it, Bleak," Plunder said, annoyed. "Can't you see I'm on the phone here?"

Bleak muttered something under his breath, lighting a cigar. He sat down on a chair.

Plunder finished the phone call. "What do you want, Bleak? I have things to do so make it quick."

Bleak put down the cigar and told his boss what he had seen at the lake while checking his traps. Until he mentioned a certain superhero and a group of environmentalists, the businessman looked disinterested. "They were with some sheila. Planet was actin' all chivalrous toward her. Saw 'im smoochin' her and all, too. Seemed totally smitten, the both of 'em."

"Is that so?" Plunder asked.

"I know what I saw, boss," Bleak said. "I was thinkin' that…"

"I don't pay you to think," Plunder interrupted. "But remind me to give you a 10 percent raise."

Bleak grinned. "Yes, sir."

At that moment, a woman in a pink jumpsuit walked in, not even bothering to knock. "I need to talk to you, Plunder," she said by way of greeting, waving a binder above her head.

"As a matter of fact, I want to talk to you too, Blight," Plunder told her. "Sit down."

Blight insisted what she had to say was important but Plunder didn't seem that interested, insisting that his piece of news more important.

With a glare, Blight sat down on the other chair. "What is it?"

Plunder leaned forward, elbows on the table, fingertips together. "We want to get rid of Captain Planet, right?"

Blight nodded. "Right. And those annoying Eco-Brats, too."

"Bleak here has just given me information that you might like to hear as well."

Impatient, Blight demanded to hear what it was so Plunder told her what Bleak had told him, but not in so many words. A grin began to form on Blight's face as she listened to what the man was telling her, a plan already forming in her head.

* * *

**A/N:** So much for a vacation, huh?


	4. Attack on the cabin

**Chapter 4: The Attack on the cabin **

When Kim woke up the next morning, she was surprised when she discovered Cap was not there with her.

Noticing that his mistress was awake, Buddy limped to her and put his head down on the bed. Kim scratched the dog's head. "Good morning, Buddy. Do you happen to know where a certain superhero might be?"

Buddy gave a "woof" and moved to the door, turning to look at her. Kim figured the dog wanted her to follow him. She did a quick change of clothes and then went downstairs with him.

The first thing she heard was the sound of the coffeemaker. Buddy stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. Kim peeked in and saw Cap there. Leaning on the doorframe, the brunette watched as the superhero was busy with something.

It wasn't long before he sensed the woman watching. "Oh, you're awake." Cap went to her and kissed her. "Good morning, love."

Kim smiled at him. "Good morning. What are you doing?"

"Breakfast," he replied. "I had thought to bring it to you upstairs, though." Cap went back to the orange he had been working on, putting the pieces in a small bowl already containing pieces of other fruit. There appeared to be at least banana, pineapple, peach and grapes.

He never seized to amaze her. And it wasn't even her birthday. "Should I go back to bed then?"

"Well, since you're already down here, no." The bowl joined the other stuff on the tray. There was also an empty cup and two pieces of white bread.

He was trying not to show it but she could see he was disappointed that his plan had been ruined. Kim put an arm around his waist. "There's always next time, you know."

Cap smiled. She had a point. There would be plenty of opportunities for him to do this again.

Kim took the pieces of bread and put them in the toaster. "I prefer toast," she explained.

He reminded himself to remember this fact for later. "I could've done them the easier way."

Kim grinned, having other things on her mind right now. She cleared a space on the table beside the fridge. "Give me a boost."

Confused, the superhero did as he was told and lifted her onto the said table. Kim smiled and kissed his neck. Cap couldn't help gasping when she used the tip of her tongue below his ear. Kim snickered at that and pinned him by wrapping her legs around him. Cap smiled fondly and didn't even try to free himself, although he could've done it easily. He kissed her, his hands on either side of her on the table.

Right then, the coffeemaker went quiet. Cap kissed the nape of her neck and glanced at it, torn between giving attention to her and wanting her try the breakfast he had made for her.

"How about that breakfast now?" the superhero asked when the toast jumped in the toaster a moment later. "Before you have me as an appetizer," he added, as the woman was nibbling his ear.

She did appreciate the trouble he had gone through but would have wanted to concentrate on him right now. "Oh, alright, but I'm not done with you yet," she said finally.

He smiled, having the same kind of thoughts. "The same goes with you."

Cap ran his hands along Kim's thighs, asking her to release him but she did no such thing, smiling mischievously. The superhero sighed and dematerialized, appearing beside the coffeemaker.

"Spoilsport," Kim said.

He grinned. There were some advantages in being a superhero. He switched the coffeemaker off and poured some coffee in the cup. Taking the pieces of toast and putting them back on the plate, he placed the tray on the kitchen table.

Cap helped Kim down. "Breakfast is served."

Kim did a little curtsey. "Thank you." She sat down. Cap sat down across from her, elbows on the table, chin resting on the back of his hand.

Kim put some butter on the pieces of toast, taking a bite and then sipped the coffee. "How is it?" the superhero wanted to know. "Not too strong, I hope." After all, he hadn't exactly made coffee before.

"It's a bit strong but it'll do," the brunette said. "Not bad for a beginner, though," she added and brushed her toes lightly along Cap's leg under the table, watching him over the rim of the cup as she took another sip. Her behavior was a clear indication what would happen once she had eaten her breakfast.

Kim reached for the fruit salad but the superhero told her that was for dessert. She had never heard of breakfast having dessert before.

"Well, mine does," Cap informed her, telling her the fruit salad was off limits until the coffee and toast were gone. The woman did as she was told.

Kim looked at the tray. "What am I supposed to eat the salad with?"

In answer, Cap took the bowl and fished a piece from it. "Open wide." He managed to avoid getting his fingers eaten with the treats. It seemed Kim was in quite a frisky mood this morning.

But then Buddy's growling caught their attention. Both Kim and Cap turned to look at the dog who was facing the front door. "Expecting company?" he asked.

Kim shook her head no. She went to Buddy. "What is it, boy?" The dog stood up, not ceasing his growling.

Right then, the superhero could hear a noise resembling the sound that a helicopter's rotors make. The sound was getting louder. Curious, Cap stood up from the table and went to the living room. Looking out the window he saw a familiar looking helicopter landing. Too familiar, in fact.

Kim heard it too. "Is that a helicopter?"

Cap joined her, troubled. "I don't like this. That's Plunder's helicopter out there."

"Plunder? What business does he have here?" Kim asked, not on the same page with him at all.

"Bleak," he said, frowning. "He did see something after all." Of course the man had told his boss about what he had seen. But Plunder wasn't this direct, preferring a sneakier approach. The superhero put his arms around her. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this."

Before Kim could answer footsteps could be heard on the verandah and an insistent knock on the door. "Open up or we'll have to break the door down," a voice said.

Kim looked at Cap, who nodded. "I'm ready for 'em."

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Five men rushed inside. "You are coming with us, young lady," said one.

"No, she's not if I have anything to say about it," Cap stated. He turned himself into water, washing three of the men out the door. The other two managed to get out of the way.

As the water turned back into the eco-hero, one of the two took out what looked like a big flashlight and switched it on, aiming it at the re-forming hero, catching Cap unawares. Of course, an ordinary flashlight couldn't hurt him but this one was a UV flashlight and the hero felt himself weaken. He gritted his teeth and tried to stay standing.

"Not so tough now, huh?" the guy laughed, keeping the flashlight aimed at the superhero. Cap went to his knees and ultimately collapsed to the floor with a groan.

Kim only had time to gasp as the other one put a cloth over her nose and mouth. Her knees buckled and she crumbled to the floor beside the superhero. Stubbornly Cap tried to get up, not succeeding. It was as if the floor had suddenly been magnetized.

Without warning, Buddy leaped at the man who had done harm to his mistress, growling and teeth bared. But because of the bandage on his leg, the dog was too slow and he kicked the animal down. With a whimper, Buddy fell on the floor.

"There was no mention of a dog," the man said. Then he shrugged. "But we have our orders. Get the girl and let's book."

"Yes, sir." The one holding the flashlight put it on the floor, keeping it aimed at Cap but still out of his reach. The man took hold of Kim. Somehow, Cap was able to take a feeble grip on the woman's hand. The man easily shook him off. "Feeling a little weak, are we?" he taunted and slung the woman over his shoulder.

The superhero cried out in pain and frustration, watching helplessly as Kim was taken away.


	5. Aftermath

**Chapter 5: Aftermath**

The noises coming from downstairs had woken up the Planeteers. When Ma-Ti sat up with a cry the same time as Cap fell to the floor and hearing the superhero's own cry a couple of minutes later, they knew he needed help. The Planeteers got out of bed and almost flew down the stairs to the landing. They caught sight of the men running for the helicopter, one of them carrying a familiar form.

A groan from the base of the stairs and they saw the superhero on the floor and Buddy to one side of him. The first one beside the superhero was Kwame. As he reached for the source of Cap's predicament, he told Wheeler and Ma-Ti to try and stop the men. Both nodded and ran out the door.

Kwame switched off the flashlight and gave it to Gi. She put it on the steps.

Cap visibly relaxed. "Kim?" he asked hoarsely.

"Do not worry, Captain Planet," Kwame said. "Ma-Ti and Wheeler will stop those men." He went to the door and glanced outside. Wheeler and Ma-Ti were coming back toward the cabin; the men had managed to get to the helicopter and it was now flying away.

When the two came back inside Cap had a questioning look on his face. "Sorry, Cap," Wheeler said, kneeling beside him. "They were too far ahead."

"They got away," Ma-Ti added.

"No…" Cap whispered and closed his eyes for a moment. "Have to stop them…" He tried to get up, but failed, falling back to the floor with a groan. "Too much radiation…" The globe on his chest was indeed turning gray. It only had about a golf ball-sized speck of yellow left.

"Just take it easy, Cap. We'll help you back on your feet," Wheeler said.

"Buddy?" the superhero asked then and turned his head to look at the dog. Buddy crawled to him and gave his face a lick and looked at him with those brown eyes of his and whined. Cap smiled a little. "Don't you worry, boy. I'll be OK." He looked back at Wheeler.

The redhead nodded and slung one of the eco-hero's arms around his neck. Kwame did the same with the superhero's other arm. The other three followed the two who carried their weakened friend between them.

It was a good thing it was a sunny day again. Kwame and Wheeler laid Cap down on the grass. It wasn't long before Cap took a breath. A glow surrounded him. The glow was so bright that the Planeteers had to shield their eyes.

When the glow was gone the superhero stood there. "Thanks, Planeteers," Cap said, offering them a short-lived smile. "Sorry this wasn't the best kind of wake-up call."

"Bleak did see something then," Linka stated.

The eco-hero nodded. "I should have known it was too much to hope for that he hadn't," he said somberly.

"So Plunder is behind this?" Ma-Ti asked.

"There's no mistake about it," Cap stated. "The men came in his helicopter. And I couldn't do anything else to stop them except wash three of them out the door before the remaining two took out that flashlight thing they had with them. The radiation seemed to get stronger by the second. Otherwise I probably would've been able to do something more."

"Three out of five is good," Gi said, trying to find something positive in the situation.

Cap frowned, not consoled in the least. "Not good enough." He sat down on the steps leading to the verandah, feeling he had failed Kim.

"You did the best you could," Ma-Ti assured him.

A bark from the door and Buddy descended the steps slowly and sat down beside the eco-hero. Cap gave the dog a scratch. "You're one tough dog. I saw what that creep did." Buddy looked at the superhero and whined. "I know. She will be back soon. I promise."

"It is not like Plunder to kidnap someone," Linka stated. "Maybe someone planned this out for him."

"We'll find out who once we get there," Wheeler said. "But now, how about breakfast?"

Cap would have wanted to leave then and there but understood their need for breakfast. "Fine. But be quick about it. I won't wait for long." An idea of how they might find out who Plunder had teamed up with was already forming in his mind.

The helicopter had reached its destination. The three who had experienced the water ride went to put on some dry clothes as the other two headed for Plunder's office

"Wonder what the boss wants with her," said the one carrying Kim.

"That's none of our business," the other pointed out. "Come on, let's not keep Mr. Plunder waiting."

But the secretary directed the two to Blight's lab. Plunder, Blight and MAL were waiting in the lab and watched as the men came in and deposited the still unconscious Kim in a chair.

"Mission accomplished, Mr. Plunder."

"Thank you. Leave us," Plunder said, waving a hand toward the door. The men saluted and left.

"So this is the woman Planet has his eye on," MAL commented, giving Kim a once-over. "Doesn't look like much."

Blight smirked. "What can you expect from someone like him?" To think even Planthead could fall in love…

"Let's wake her up, shall we?" Plunder held a vial of smelling salts under Kim's nose. She jerked awake and looked around her.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"In my lab," Blight replied.

Kim had expected to be tied up and was surprised when she wasn't. "Not for long!" she exclaimed and dashed for the door.

Just as she reached it, Bleak stepped inside. "You're not goin' anywhere, girlie," he said and grabbed Kim's arms.

"Let go of me, you oaf!" she screamed, struggling despite knowing from experience how strong tha man's grip was. Bleak just grinned and planted her back in the chair. Kim eyed her captors. "What do you want from me? Am I a prisoner?"

"Certainly not," Plunder said. "I prefer the term guest."

"I won't be your 'guest' for long," Kim retorted. "Captain Planet will come for me soon enough." She hoped the superhero had had some help with the radiation problem and really was on his way by now.

MAL laughed. "That's what we're counting on. It shouldn't take lover boy long to barge in here."

Were they using her as bait to get their hands on the superhero? If that was the case, Kim hoped he'd be prepared for that.

"I still think she should be tied up," Blight said to Plunder, eyeing Kim. "There's lots of sensitive stuff here and she might break something." Sure enough, different kinds of lab equipment was strewn all over the room.

"She's a guest, remember?" Plunder said. "But still… MAL, lock the door."

"I am not taking orders from you, pony-tail," the computer said.

"MAL," Blight said. "Just do it."

"Whatever you say, sweetums." There was a click as the door was locked. Bleak placed himself in front of it just in case.

Kim thought it weird for a computer to use such an affectionate term. "Mind if I stretch my legs?" she asked. In truth, she didn't need the exercise, she just wanted to look around the place.

"Just stay put," Blight snapped. "Keep an eye on her, MAL. I still have work to do before Blue Boy gets here."

All of a sudden, Kim heard a familiar voice. In her head. _"Kim? You OK, love?"_

"Blue?" she blurted out.

Blight turned to regard her, thinking the question was for her. "You dense? Blue as in blue skin. He's not exactly human if you haven't noticed."

"Don't you think I don't know that?" Kim shot back, the doctor inadvertently having hit a nerve.

"What do you see in him, anyway?" Blight asked then. "He's so goody-goody it makes me sick. Not to mention he keeps meddling in my business."

"That's something I'm sure you wouldn't even begin to understand," Kim said. "And what you call meddling he calls his job."

With a growl Blight stalked away to the next room to do whatever she had been doing before they had received word that Kim had been brought in.

Kim heard a chuckle in her head. _"I'll take that as a yes. And in case you didn't already figure it out, it's your Blue calling, alright."_

Kim couldn't help smiling a little. "How…?" she asked in a whisper.

"_Hush," _he interrupted._ "I'll explain later. No talking. Use your thoughts."_

Kim took a deep breath. This was new so she didn't know if she could pull it off. _'Are _you_ OK?'_

_"Never better__," _Cap assured her._ "Now, where are you?"_

She decided to keep it simple. '_A lab.'_

There was brief pause. _"That gives me a clue on who Plunder's teamed up with. Is there a computer too by any chance? Green face on a screen."_

'_Yes.'_ Kim was sure she didn't need to elaborate on the weird seeming relationship between the woman and the computer.

"_Alright. Don't worry, love." _This was accompanied by a reassuring feeling. It did make her feel a bit more at ease._ "We're on our way."_

'_Careful. Could be a trap.'_ The superhero probably knew that already but she wanted to warn him, nonetheless.

"_Had a feeling it would be," _Cap said._ "Careful is my middle name, did you know that?"_

Kim hoped so. '_Sure it is.'_

A chuckle again._ "__Just take it easy now. We'll be there soon."_After that, silence.

Kim glanced at the door behind which Blight had gone to. Faint sounds could be heard from the room but she couldn't make out what they were exactly.

In the Geo-Cruiser, Cap opened his eyes and took his hands away from his temples. He had decided to ride in the plane for a change, both to conserve his strength and contact Kim telepathically. The superhero hadn't been sure this would work but it had.

"Were you able to reach her?" Wheeler wanted to know. "Saw you frown a couple of times."

Cap nodded. "Yeah, I was. Got the info we wanted. Guess who Plunder's got with him. Blight."

"Blight, huh?" Gi said thoughtfully. "So that's how she got out of jail so fast."

Cap tapped his fingers on the armrests. He wasn't used to travelling in the Geo-Cruiser. There had been that one time he had had to fly the ship out of necessity. Plus he was anxious to get to Kim. There was no telling what Blight had in store for her. "Thanks for the lift but I think I'll go back to flying my way." With that he dematerialized from the seat and appeared outside the Geo-Cruiser.

"I have never seen him this impatient before," Kwame said, shaking his head.

"He just wants to get Kim out of Blight's hands as soon as possible," Ma-Ti said. The Kayapo hoped the superhero's impatience wouldn't backfire on him.


	6. Rescue

**Chapter 6: Rescue**

They arrived at the building. Cap touched down and waited for the Geo-Cruiser to land. "You wait here Planeteers," he told them as they joined him.

"You sure you want to go in alone?" Gi asked.

The eco-hero nodded. He felt he was responsible for Kim getting caught so he wanted to get her out, too. Even if it was a trap. He would stubbornly hold firm even if they had tried to accompany him. Cap did know he was taking a risk by going alone but he had complete faith in his friends that they would come to his assistance if and when he needed them.

Cap walked to the door. "Hmm, on second thought…" He took a couple of steps back and looked up. "I think I'll pay Plunder a visit and ask for directions to Blight's lab." The superhero jumped in the air and in a few seconds was level with Plunder's office window. He peered in and saw Plunder sitting at his desk, reading some papers. Cap grinned and crashed in through the window.

Plunder started and hastily shielded himself from the glass. "Don't you know how to use a door?"

"Oh, sorry about that." In truth, he wasn't sorry at all. "Just thought I'd drop in for a visit."

Plunder regained his composure and straightened his tie a bit. "So, what brings you here?"

"Drop the act, Plunder," Cap leaned forward, his hands on the table. "You know very well why I'm here. The lab. Where is it?"

His shortness was a surprise for Plunder. The man was used to a more easy-going Captain Planet. "How did you…?"

"Never mind how I know," the superhero interrupted and took a hold of Plunder's suit collar. "I'm gonna ask you one more time. Where is her lab?"

He didn't remember the superhero ever being like this and thought it best to give him the information he wanted. "Uh… one floor down. I-it's a metal door with a sign that says LAB 1."

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll find it." Cap released the man and marched to the door and almost took it off its hinges when he threw it open.

"Hey!" Plunder exclaimed, although he knew the door could be repaired in no time.

It didn't take long for him to locate the right door. He listened for a while. "I don't like this," Cap mumbled. "It's too quiet."

The eco-hero tried the door. Finding it locked he grunted and tore through the metal door like it was paper. The first thing he saw was Kim. Her head drooped over her chest. She was tied up in a chair.

Cap looked around the room and caught sight of Blight. She leaned on MAL casually.

"We've been waiting for you," the computer said.

"I'm sure you have," Cap said.

"Go ahead," Blight said. "Free your girlfriend. That's what you came here for, isn't it?"

Cautiously he walked over to Kim, all the while glancing around him for hidden traps. _'This is too easy,'_ he thought. Cap raised Kim's head by the chin gently. She had a gag in her mouth and her eyes were closed._ 'Is it my imagination or does her skin feel harder than it should?'_ He removed the gag and tried to wake her up.

Blight grinned and pushed a button on a devise she had in her hand. As the superhero watched, Kim's, or what he had thought to be Kim, eyes opened. They were glowing and judging from the effect it had on him, it was radiation. Cap took a couple of steps back. It didn't matter which way he went; the eyes followed his every move.

"How do you like my new invention, Planet?" Blight wanted to know.

"Can't say I like it much," the superhero grunted. "Doesn't even look like her, really." And yet it had fooled him.

Blight shrugged. "Well, it worked, didn't it?" Cap opted not to answer that, berating himself silently, wondering where the real Kim was. He went to one knee.

Outside, Ma-Ti alerted the others that the superhero needed help. Thanks to the mental link the Kayapo had with Cap, they didn't have any trouble in locating the lab. And the torn door was a big clue, too. Wheeler was the first one to enter the room, with Kwame not far behind.

"What took you so long?" Cap asked, grimacing. "Could you please do something about those eyes?"

Kwame spotted a rag on the nearby table. "This will do for now," he said and put the rag over the eyes.

"Thanks, Kwame," Cap said gratefully. Wheeler helped him to stand up. "Where is she, Blight?"

A banging sound could be heard. And a faint voice shouting, "Let me out of here!"

Despite that, Cap could tell who it was. Finding the strength from somewhere, he snatched the control devise from Blight, throwing it to the Planeteers. "Here, catch." Then he went to the door. "Watch them," he told the five, meaning the woman and computer both, and yanked the door open.

As the door was opened and Kim saw who stood there, she threw herself on him with a squeal of joy, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so glad to see you."

Cap wasn't prepared for that and he took a couple of steps back until he could steady himself. "Easy, girl. I'm glad to see you too but I'm not at my best right now."

Kim looked up at him. "You really don't look so good. What happened?" She hadn't been let in on the plan, naturally.

Cap indicated the robot. "That and radiation."

Linka, who had the control devise, pushed a button on it. The robot's head slumped.

Gi checked if it really was off. "That took care of that."

Blight tried to make a run for it but Cap grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. "Going somewhere, Blight?" She tried to get free, but his hold held.

"Another plan down the tubes," MAL commented.

Cap found some rope and sat Blight down on a chair, tying her up. "I believe that wraps it up. Let's get outta here. And if you so much as squeak, MAL, I'll introduce you to some more H²O," he warned MAL. The computer sweatdropped and kept quiet. "That's what I thought."

As they got to the elevators, Kwame looked at Cap and asked, "Are you alright, Captain Planet?" His concern was obvious.

He had to admit he wouldn't be able to get very far, thanks to the radiation. Twice in one day… "Not really but I can make it." The superhero put an arm around Kim's shoulders, as much to support him as have her close to him. "I just can't believe I mistook that bucket of bolts for you."

"I do remember you saying something about 'careful being my middle name'," Kim reminded him.

What a mess that had turned out to be. "I did say that, didn't I?"

Kim smiled and gave him a kiss, not wanting to dwell on it. "Thank you for coming for me."

Cap smiled. "Anytime, love."

"What was that about H²O back there, by the way?" she wanted to know.

"Let's just say MAL has experience of water getting into his systems," he replied with a wink. "I wouldn't have been able to do anything of the sort, really."

"You could have if you…" Wheeler began.

"…if I had been more careful," the superhero finished, rolling his eyes. "I know. You don't have to rub it in."

Kim looked at him with concern. "You really should go and get your strength back."

"I know and I will," Cap assured her. "Once we get out of this elevator."

Pretty soon the floor indicator told them that they were at the desired floor. They exited the elevator. Cap could hardly stay on his feet. He asked the Planeteers to bring the woman back to the cabin safely. The five assured him they would.

The superhero smiled at Kim. "See ya later. The power is yours!" He did his thing and the powers returned to the rings.

The six had taken only a few steps when a shot rang out.


	7. Bad news and a glimmer of hope

**Chapter 7: Bad news and a glimmer of hope**

Kim felt pain at her back. She gave a cry and fell to the floor. Ma-Ti, who was closest to her, knelt down beside her and gasped when he saw the wound in the woman's back.

"Help me…" Kim got out. Her voice was a whisper.

"She has been shot!" the Kayapo exclaimed. "We have to call an ambulance."

Kwame swept his eyes over the hall, hoping to see a phone. Instead, he saw Bleak standing a short distance away with a smoking gun.

"Very observant of you, Eco-Brat." Plunder's lackey grinned and approached Kim.

Wheeler sprang into action. "No, you don't!" Pointing his ring at Bleak's gun, he shouted, "Fire!"

The weapon grew hot in the Aussie's hand. Bleak yelped in pain and dropped it. He growled and reached into one of his pockets.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice from the direction of the door. The Planeteers turned to look toward the door. The man who had spoken was sporting a gun of his own at Bleak. The Aussie thought it better to get his feet under him and scram.

"Clash! What are you doing here?" Gi asked. She was glad he had driven Bleak away.

Clash holstered his weapon and walked over to them. "Got a message from Gaia. She told me you guys needed help. It's a good thing I happened to be nearby." He knelt down beside Kim and looked her over. "Looks bad. We better go before it's too late."

"How far is the hospital?" Linka asked.

"Too far," Clash stated. "I know a place that's closer." He lifted Kim onto his arms. "Hold on, miss."

She gasped as a wave of pain went through her. "I'll try…"

They got outside where a Humvee was waiting. The Planeteers got aboard the Geo-Cruiser after Clash had given them the co-ordinates to their destination. Clash handed Kim to the man at the back, climbed in the driver's seat and started the vehicle, speeding off as fast as he dared. It wouldn't do to get pulled over right now. The man who was with Kim tried to stop the bleeding. Her breathing was getting ragged and broken.

"That doesn't sound good," Clash commented. He contacted the compound they were headed for and told that he was bringing a patient. "I know she's not military personnel, but if we don't help her she's going to die, damn it!"

Kim grimaced again. "It hurts…"

"Just hold on," the other man said and turned to Clash. "Did you get permission?"

"Yeah, but she has to be transferred to a hospital after the operation," Clash replied. "Just try to keep her awake."

Finally they arrived at the base. It was a rectangular building with an inner courtyard in the middle. Men with a stretcher between them came outside and waited for the Humvee. As the vehicle stopped in front of the doors Clash and the other man didn't waste any time and got out, lifting Kim out of the car and lowering her onto the stretcher.

The Geo-Cruiser landed. The Planeteers climbed out and followed the others into the base. The five watched as she was taken away to an OR. On the way Kim lost the battle to stay awake and closed her eyes.

"Captain Planet has to be told about this," Ma-Ti stated. The Heart Planeteer knew the superhero wouldn't like the news.

"Why wasn't he there to stop that guy, by the way?" Clash asked.

"He had to recharge," Wheeler told him. "Radiation."

"I see. Who is that woman, by the way?" Clash enquired. "A friend of yours?"

The Planeteers told him the whole story. "Oh, so that's how things are, huh?" Clash commented. Wonders never seized. "Then I understand. He should know what's happened."

The five of them went outside, followed by the soldier. "Let our powers combine!" Kwame initiated. "Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Heart!"

The five powers met at a mutual point in the sky and took on a humanoid shape. Cap didn't bother with the powers combining stuff. He looked around and discovered that they were not at the cabin like he had expected.

He landed in front of the Planeteers and Clash, acknowledging the presence of the latter with a smile. He did wonder why he was there, though. "Where are we?" he asked.

"At a medical compound," Clash replied.

"A medical…?" A feeling of dread came over him. "What's happened? And where's Kim?"

"Let's go inside and we'll tell you everything," the soldier said, indicating they should follow him with a wave of his hand.

The group went back inside, with a confused superhero in tow. "Alright, tell me what's going on," Cap demanded.

"You better sit down first," Clash told him. He wasn't sure how hard he would take the news. But if his feelings for the woman were as strong as the Planeteers had told him they were, the news would be a shock.

"Fine." The eco-hero sat down on a nearby chair. Looking at their faces, he could tell something was wrong. And that it was something serious. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"

"It's about Kim," Gi began. "After you left, Bleak showed up and he…"

"He what?" Cap prompted.

There was no easy way to tell something like this so Clash just came right out with it. "He shot her."

The superhero stared at his friends, thinking he surely hadn't heard right. "Did you say he… shot Kim?"

Clash nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"How bad is it?" the eco-hero wanted to know, although he guessed it was quite serious since the woman wasn't there with them.

Clash sighed. "I'll be honest with you. She may not make it."

"What? She may not…?" Cap had blank look on his face.

Clash sat down beside the superhero. "I promise we will do everything we can for her. She's in surgery now." When there was no reaction at all, the man placed a hand on Cap's shoulder. "Did you hear what I just said?"

The superhero's face turned into a proverbial thundercloud. Without a word, he stood up and ran outside.

"That went well," Clash commented.

The Planeteers went to check on Cap, but he was nowhere to be found. There was no precedent so they didn't know what the superhero would do in a situation like this.

"Let's just hope he'll come back, wherever he went," Gi said, hoping their friend wouldn't do anything he would regret later.

"I think I'll ask how they're doing with her," Clash decided. "At least we'll have something to tell him when he comes back." He went to a phone and selected an internal line.

He received news that the bullet had grazed the spine and gone through the right lung and hit a rib and become stuck in the sternum, luckily missing the heart. He was also told that Kim's heart had arrested once already, but that they had been able to get it going again.

Cap had jumped into the air. His thoughts were a jumble, he could hardly see through the tears streaming down his cheeks. His only coherent thought now was to get revenge on Bleak.

_"Planet! Stop this!" _Gaia shouted in his mind.

_"Stay out of this!" _Cap shouted back._"Because of Bleak Kim could die! He's going to pay!"_

_"What would that accomplish?" _the spirit of the Earth asked, troubled by his behavior. _"Besides, this is not who you are. You wouldn't use violence."_

_"I'm willing to do an exception this time."_ Gaia could tell he actually meant what he said. It shocked her.

_"NO!" _the spirit exclaimed. Cap winced and had to hold his head for a while after that mental shout. But it did the trick and got him out of his rage._ "I won't let you do it."_

The superhero stopped and hovered in the air, glad the spirit had managed to stop him from doing something he would regret later. He was almost to Plunder's office building._ "Maybe I could've stopped this from happening if…"_

_"You don't know that," _Gaia told him reassuringly, knowing what he had been going to say. The spirit was relieved he was back to normal again. _"Besides, you could hardly stand at the time."_

Cap sighed, having to admit she was right. _"Well, thanks for sending Clash to help her."_

_"It was the only thing I could think of to do." _The spirit was glad the man had got there in time._ "I hope she'll be alright. I really do."_

_"__What do you care?" _Cap asked bitterly._"As I remember it, you didn't approve of me having feelings for her in the first place."_

This was still a touchy subject between them._ "__For that, I am sorry,"_Gaia said. _"I shouldn't have expected you to dismiss your feelings like that. And you know I care about all the people on Earth."_

_"I care about the Earth and its people, too," _he told her._ "But Kim is not just anyone. I couldn't bear it if she…"_He couldn't bring himself to say it. The idea was unthinkable. _"I__f there possibly is anything I could do to save her life, I'd do it without hesitating." _He would go to the ends of the earth for her. For anyone really, but especially for her. It scared the superhero a bit to realize how important the woman had become to him. But to entertain thoughts that went against his convictions…

Gaia had to admire her adoptive son's devotion. He loved the woman more than the spirit had realized._ "All you can do now is give her your support," _she said gently._ "Go back. She'll need you to be there."_

Cap did want to be there for her. Without giving the building that had been his goal moments before another glance he turned back. He landed in the courtyard and didn't have to go looking for his friends, since they came to him. The girls gave him a hug, seeing that he needed it.

"Glad to have you with us again," Clash said, clapping the eco-hero on the shoulder.

Cap looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry I took off like that." He didn't want to tell his friends what he had been planning to do. "Just had to blow off some steam. Any news on Kim?"

"She's in surgery now and I was in touch with the people working on her…" the soldier began.

"Yeah, I thought I heard something to that effect," Cap said. He had heard something despite his shock, just hadn't been sure. "What did they say?"

The man told the superhero what he had been told on the phone. "We just have to hope for the best," Clash finished.

"Oh, I will, believe me," the eco-hero said firmly. "Could Kim's dog be brought here? I assume she's not going home any time soon so…" They had left the dog at the verandah, thinking they would return soon enough. Things had really gone awry.

"Actually, she's going to be transferred to a hospital once she gets out of surgery," Clash told him.

Cap was going to ask why couldn't the woman stay where she was. It was a _medical_ compound after all. "Well, as long as she's going to be taken good care of, anything works for me," the superhero said instead. "Have you been in contact with the hospital yet?"

"No yet, but I'll do that soon," Clash replied.

"Could you ask if these five can be accommodated near the hospital with Buddy?" Cap indicated the Planeteers. That way they didn't have to zigzag between the cabin and the hospital.

The soldier promised to do so. He advised them to go and get the dog now since it was going to take at least two hours before Kim got out from surgery. He left to make the call.

Ma-Ti smiled. "Good idea. That way we can be there for you and save the trips to and from the cabin."

"My thought exactly," the eco-hero said.

They left to go and get Buddy.

Buddy was waiting on the verandah where they had left him. He stood up when he saw Cap and the Geo-Cruiser coming. Cap was the first to touch down. Buddy ran to him, or rather limped what with the injured leg and all. The eco-hero gave the dog a scratch.

The Geo-Cruiser landed and the five got out. Buddy greeted them and then went to Cap again, looked around and at him again questioningly, tilting his head.

Cap sighed and knelt down and stroked the dog's back. "Sorry, boy. She's not with us because she's hurt. By the same creep who left that trap you stepped in." The dog growled and the superhero gave a laugh.

"What did he say?" Wheeler asked.

"He said that if he ever sees Bleak again, he'll sink his teeth in his rear end," Cap said, clearly amused by the idea.

The New Yorker grinned. "Yeah, that'd teach him a lesson."

"Or not," Linka stated. The Aussie would probably just try to get rid of the nuisance.

"Listen, boy," Cap said to the dog. "We came to get you where she's been taken." Buddy gave a 'woof'. Cap patted the dog's head. "I thought so."

They gathered some of the dog's stuff and headed back to the compound.

Clash came to the plane as the five and the dog climbed out. "So this is Buddy?" the soldier asked. "Hello, boy."

Buddy wasn't sure what to do so he decided to growl at the man. "Buddy! Stop that," Cap reprimanded the dog. He realized he should have cautioned the man of the dog's quirk. "He's the one who saved your mistress and brought her here."

Buddy stopped growling and glanced at the superhero, looking as if he was sorry. The dog sniffed at Clash and then wagged his tail. The soldier patted the dog's head a little.

"That's better," Cap said and looked at Clash. "Any news on Kim?"

"I checked on her a while ago," the man replied. "It's going to take at least another hour."

They went inside and Clash told them to sit down and wait. Cap couldn't sit still, pacing the room impatiently and glancing at the corridor occasionally.

The hour felt like a million years to the superhero. But finally, Clash came to tell him that Kim would be out of surgery soon, and would be brought to wait for the helicopter ride after she woke up.

"I've told the nurse she can answer any questions you might have," he told Cap.

"Thank you," the eco-hero said gratefully.

"Oh, and the hospital promised to provide rooms for the Planeteers and Buddy nearby."

"Hear that, guys?" Cap asked. "Now you can bug me every day." He grinned.

"You couldn't keep us away even if you tried, Cap," Wheeler told him.

After about a half an hour the beeping of a heart monitor was heard. Cap contained himself from running and just walked briskly to the approaching bed. The Planeteers followed with Buddy a few steps behind.

The nurse gasped a little when she saw who was coming. Before Cap could say anything, she said, "I know who you are, Captain Planet. It just surprised me to see someone I've only heard about."

It seemed their reputation preceded them wherever they went. "Well, I'd rather be somewhere else right now," the superhero told her. "No offence of course."

The nurse smiled. "None taken, I understand what you mean."

"Hey, honey," Cap greeted her and smiled affectionately, stroking her hair. Kim smiled a little at him. She still seemed a little tired. She had an IV drip attached to the back of her right hand, giving her blood.

"How is she?" the superhero asked the nurse, glancing at the heart monitor. He was no expert, but the woman's heartbeat seemed to be steady.

He and the nurse went to talk a ways to the side. "Her condition is stable but she's not out of the woods yet," she said. "The following days will be decisive. There could be complications."

"What kind of complications?" Cap wanted to be prepared for such things if something came up, although he knew very well there was nothing he could do about them himself.

"Fluid in her lungs or maybe a pneumothorax," the nurse listed.

He hoped either of them would happen. "I heard she's going to be transferred to a hospital. When will that happen?"

"Soon. The helicopter will be here any minute."

"But she's still weak. Can't it wait?"

"I'm sorry, but we simply don't have the equipment if something happens." In that case the hospital was a far better option.

The superhero was informed that the damage the bullet had done had been able to be repaired. It had been tricky but the lung had been mended. The bullet hadn't done any damage to her spine so there was no danger of paralysis. Cap was relieved about the good news and asked if they had gotten the bullet out. In answer, the nurse showed him a plastic bag with a lump of lead in it. Giving the offensive object only a passing glance, he thanked the nurse for all they had done for Kim.

The nurse smiled. "Don't mention it." She placed the bed near the door and left.

Cap turned to Kim. He smiled and took her hand in his. "Just take it easy now." He found a chair and sat down to wait. "Oh, and there's someone here who wants to see you." He looked to the Planeteers and nodded. They let Buddy come to the bed. Kim smiled a little as she saw her dog.

The door was open a little and the sound of a helicopter's rotors was heard. "Your ride's here," Cap said. "You're going to travel the scenic route to the hospital."

When the men had taken her aboard the helicopter and were getting ready to take off again, Kim looked to Cap, who was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

He smiled at her and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Everything's going to be alright."

Clash came to see them off. Cap thanked the man for his help.

"Don't mention it." They shook hands and Clash left.

The helicopter lifted off the ground. The Geo-Cruiser followed.

The trip to the hospital went without any problems. The men took her inside the hospital, followed by a very worried superhero. Because of what had happened to her, Kim was taken to the ICU. If she had any complications, help was nearby. There were no other patients in the room with her.

Kim looked to Cap with weary eyes. He could feel how she squeezed his hand. There seemed to be something frantic about it, as if she was afraid he'd leave her. That'll be the day. "It's alright," the eco-hero said reassuringly. "I'm not going anywhere."

The doctor came to check on her and get her information. "Dawson," Kim said in a whisper. "Kimberly Dawson."

"Do you have your ID with you?" the doctor asked.

"We didn't exactly have time to stop by at her place before coming here," Cap answered for her.

Once the woman had managed to tell her social security number, her info was found on the hospital computer. The nurse called Kim's parents' first and then her place of work. It turned out Kim's folks were on a trip right now and couldn't be reached. At first, her boss didn't believe what had happened, but eventually he did and asked to tell Kim that she could have as long a sick leave as she needed. He wanted her to get well.

"So like them…" Kim said, closing her eyes for a moment when Cap had passed the information on to her. "Go on a trip and don't take their cell phones with them…" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Cap took her hand in his again. "Don't try to talk, love," he told her gently. "Save your strength for getting better. Have a nap if you can. I'll still be here when you wake up."

Kim smiled a little, grateful for his support and took a ragged breath, grimacing a little. She wasn't sure if she dared to take a nap. "It's so hard to breathe…" She coughed.

The woman's breathing didn't sound that good to the superhero. He decided her lungs should be checked out and pushed the call button. Better be safe than sorry.

"Could you check her lungs?" Cap asked as a nurse arrived. "She said it's hard to breathe."

The nurse went to get a doctor. The same one, who had checked on Kim a while ago. He took a stethoscope and listened to Kim's lungs and heart with it.

What happened next was a jumble in Cap's head. When he later tried to remember what had happened, he could only remember a bustle of people around Kim's bed and the shrieking of the heart monitor.

He was asked to move aside. The superhero realized he would only be in the way and wandered outside and sat on a bench. The Planeteers, who had been waiting outside, asked what was wrong.

"Kim's had complications," Cap replied.

Soon a doctor came to find him. The eco-hero looked up as the doctor sat down next to him. "Is she alright?"

"We managed to get her heart stabilized and the fluid out of her lungs. It's a miracle she's even alive after being shot in the back like that."

Cap was sure Kim would be dead now if Bleak had really wanted to kill her but didn't say this aloud.

"It's too soon to tell if she'll recover, though," the doctor continued. "It's a touch and go situation. The sooner she wakes up, the better her chances are."

"Wakes up?" the superhero echoed. "Did she fall into a coma or something?"

"No, but she's unconscious," the doctor said as they went inside. "You can go to her. Just don't be alarmed about the drain she has on her chest. That's just to ensure no more fluid will gather in the lungs."

With a nod, the superhero went straight to Kim's room. In addition to the drain the doctor had told him about, the woman had an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. She had been moved onto her side so that nothing would obstruct her airways. The only indications that she was alive was the beeping of the heart monitor and her chest that was rising and falling in rhythm with her breathing.

Cap sat down beside the bed again. He took her hand in his and put it against his cheek. "Hey, Kim. It's me, Blue." He didn't know why he had used the nickname she had given him, nor if she heard him or not.

He knew it was common to talk to people in a coma so why not unconscious people, too. "I can't believe it's been three years since we met. If the kids had found me before you did, we wouldn't have met at all. I'm glad we did. You changed my life. Thanks to you, I know how it feels to love someone."

"Can we come in?" came a voice from the door. Cap looked up to see four of the Planeteers there. Ma-Ti wasn't with them.

The eco-hero smiled. "Sure, come on in. Have you settled in?" He had been so shocked about what had happened to Kim that he had forgotten to ask earlier.

"Yeah," Wheeler replied. "Ma-Ti stayed with Buddy." The Planeteers came to stand on the other side of the bed. "How is she?"

"Hanging in there," Cap replied, gazing at Kim and stroking her hair gently. "You know, I just realized how little I know about her. For example that her full first name is Kimberly. I always thought it was just Kim. Well, after she gets better I will get to know her a lot better."

"I know you do not want to hear this, but what if she will not get better?" Kwame asked.

Cap sighed. He didn't want to even consider that. "She has to."

The Planeteers had left to settle in for the night.

Cap, who hadn't left Kim's side even for a moment, was feeling stiff from all the sitting down. He wasn't used to sitting still. "I'd hate to leave you even for a minute but I need to stretch my legs. I'll be right back," he said and gave Kim a kiss. The eco-hero left the room and went outside. The sky was clear and the stars were visible.

Cap walked a lap around the hospital. He happened to see a shooting star. Despite not being of the superstitious sort, the superhero made a wish. He was that desperate.

As he returned to Kim's room, there was a nurse with her. "Oh," the nurse said as she saw him. "It is you, Captain Planet. I didn't really believe it when I heard you'd be here with this woman."

Cap smiled a little at the nurse. "Believe it, miss. I'm going to stay with her all the way. Is there any improvement?"

"I'm afraid not. Her blood pressure is quite low but that's normal after the kind of operation she was in."

"Do you have any idea about her recovering?" Cap asked. "Or when she'll wake up?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't," the nurse said apologetically.

When the nurse left, Cap sat down beside the bed again. "I'm back," he said.

Taking her hand in his, the superhero leaned down and kissed her on the cheek lightly. "Remember how happy we were just this morning? Not a care in the world. I made breakfast for you and wanted to bring it to you upstairs but you beat me to it. I didn't mind. Like you said, there's always a next time. But will there be a next time now? I really hope so."

"_Planet."_

"_Yes, Gaia?" _Cap replied, becoming alert in the blink of an eye._ "Please don't tell me there's an eco-emergency. I wouldn't want to leave her right now."_

"_Relax," _the spirit told him._ "That's not why I wanted to talk to you." _There was a pause._ "You told me earlier you'd do anything to help her, if there was a way. Well, there is."_

The superhero frowned._ "What can I possibly do?" _The only thing he could think of was a trip to the rainforest for some medicinal plant.

Gaia's suggestion was totally unexpected._ "You could give her a small dose of your blood."_

"_What? My blood?" _Cap asked in astonishment._ "Isn't that too risky?" _Despite his resolve to help Kim if he possibly could, the idea of giving her his blood felt… strange. There was no telling what it would do to her.

"_Look, if she has a turn for the worse, she won't make it," _the spirit pointed out, sensing his hesitation._ "Is that what you want?"_

"_Of course not." _Cap looked at Kim. He still blamed himself for not being there for her. He did know the real blame lay on Bleak but couldn't help it. Maybe by giving her some of his blood he could make amends._ "But it's not as if I can just go and ask for someone to take the blood, can I."_

A syringe appeared on the bed._ "Use that. But only as a last resort. If it looks like her condition won't improve on its own, mix the dose you take with the blood in the IV bag."_

"_Do you happen to know how big a dose it's safe to give her?" _Cap enquired, taking the syringe.

"_Five mil will do," _Gaia replied.

Putting the syringe in the drawer of the bedside table, he hoped it wouldn't be needed, Kim recovering on her own. Cap sat back down beside the bed and took the woman's hand in his. "Please come back to me, love."

The superhero wondered how Gaia knew his blood could possibly help Kim. He didn't remember the spirit doing any kinds of tests on it. Or if she had, she hadn't told him about it.


	8. Recovery

**Chapter 8: Recovery**

Word had got around that Captain Planet and the Planeteers were in the hospital. This had caused quite hubbub. The Planeteers had handled the situation, not letting them bother the superhero. Despite the situation with Kim, he had agreed to have a word with the crowd, figuring it would give him something else to think about at least for a little while. Cap just hoped the hospital wouldn't become a tourist attraction just because they happened to be there.

* * *

On the morning of the third day in the hospital, Cap had begun to seriously consider doing as Gaia had told him to and give Kim a dose of his blood. He had told the Planeteers what the spirit had advised him to do when they had dropped by. There didn't seem to be any improvement in her condition. Or so the nurses kept telling him.

Cap felt he needed a bit of a recharge. He didn't need it very badly but he wanted to be prepared for possible eco-emergencies. The superhero went to the window to check if the sun was shining. To his relief it was. If it had been cloudy, he would've had to return. He let the sun recharge him, feeling much better.

The Planeteers came for a visit. "How is she?" Ma-Ti asked. "Any change?"

"None that I can see," the eco-hero replied with a sigh. "I guess the only possibility here is to do as Gaia told me to. But I'll wait until a nurse has checked on her."

As if on cue, a nurse came in. "Good morning, everyone."

"I don't see anything good in it," Cap grumbled. "Please tell me she's better."

The nurse did her checks. "Well, her blood pressure's a little higher, at least. And her heartbeat is steady. Otherwise, no change."

The same old story he had heard umpteenth times. "Let me guess," the superhero said. "You don't know if she's going to recover."

"I'm sorry," the nurse said, unable to think of anything else to say. "We'll just have to hope for the best."

"I'm getting tired of hearing that," Cap muttered after the nurse left, his hands gripping the bed sheets. Ma-Ti placed a comforting hand on the superhero's shoulder. He had rarely been in such a foul mood. "I think it's time to give her a helping hand."

"Maybe we should wait a little more," Linka cautioned. "Her condition could improve today."

"And then again, maybe she will get worse again and won't wake up at all," Cap said somberly. He went to the bedside table and took the syringe out.

"Do what you think is best," the Kayapo told him. "We will support you."

He nodded. "I'm a bit skeptical about using this thing, but I guess Gaia knows what she's talking about." With that, he stuck the needle in his arm and drew the required five mil. _"Why can't I just give this to her straight instead of mixing it with the rest?"_ he asked Gaia telepathically, remembering her instructions.

"_Even if you are half human, your other half seems to be predominant__,"_came Gaia's voice in his mind._ "If you put it in the IV, it will be thinned down a bit and won't be so strong as it enters her bloodstream."_

The superhero supposed that made sense. He hadn't thought much about that aspect of himself, thinking of himself as a being of nature. It seemed his human half had its advantages, though.

"_How do you know this will help?"_ Despite her saying it was safe, Cap couldn't help feeling unsure about it. But he did trust the spirit._ "What if…"_

"_Planet, just do it," _Gaia told him patiently.

"_Alright, alright."_Cap went to the drip. Hesitating only for a moment more he injected the blood. It seemed to sparkle for a few seconds before returning to normal. The syringe disappeared as soon as the blood left it._ "__How long will it take to work?"_

"_That I don't know,"_Gaia admitted._"I'm sorry."_

Cap sighed. "She doesn't know how long it will take to work," he told the Planeteers. "All we can do now is wait." The superhero hoped they wouldn't have to wait long, since there had been enough of that lately.

"We will keep our fingers crossed," Linka said.

The eco-hero smiled a little, glad of his friends' support. "There is the possibility Plunder or Blight or someone else could take advantage of this situation any day now. They could think Kim's gone and I'm an easy target."

"They do not know you very well, if they think that, then," Linka stated. The superhero had already showed that he would do his job, no matter what.

Despite having brought it up, Cap wished the villains would not hatch any schemes right now. He didn't want to leave Kim. Not until she woke up.

* * *

In the afternoon Kim gave a sigh. Cap hoped she would open her eyes but nothing else happened. He was alone for the moment since the 'Teers had gone to get something to eat.

Cap glanced at the heart monitor. Her heartbeat seemed to get stronger. _'At least that's something, I guess,'_ he thought.

He went to get a nurse and told her what had happened and to confirm the fact about Kim's heartbeat. The nurses had gotten used to the superhero by now and he could even talk to them when they had time.

After doing her checks, the nurse on duty told Cap that Kim was just sleeping now and it was only a matter of time now when she woke up. The drain was removed but the oxygen mask stayed in place just in case.

The superhero smiled, relieved beyond measure about the news. It seemed the worst was over. "That's great news."

"To be honest, we didn't expect her to recover at all," the nurse admitted. None of the nurses hadn't had the heart to say that to him until now.

Cap kept quiet about giving Kim a dose of his blood. "She's a tough girl."

When the Planeteers returned, the eco-hero told them the news. They were glad.

For the rest of the day, he hoped Kim would wake up, but she didn't. Cap was hopeful after the good news, though, and just talked to her like before.

When it started to get dark, the Planeteers went back to where they were staying near the hospital.

* * *

In the morning Kim stirred and groaned. Slowly she opened her eyes and focused on him, smiling a little when she recognized him. Cap was overjoyed that she was finally awake.

"Welcome back, my love." The superhero smiled, taking her hand in his. He felt it safe to remove the oxygen mask. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Kim replied, blinking tiredly. "What happened?"

He had been told this might happen so he wasn't alarmed and told her, adding that she had been unconscious for a long time after that. "Long enough to worry me and everyone else," he told her when she asked how long she had been under. He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Don't tell me you've been with me all that time," the brunette said.

Cap smiled affectionately. "Where else would I have been? But if you don't believe me, ask one of the nurses."

If there was one thing she knew about him, it was that the superhero devoted himself to whatever he thought was important. Even if she hadn't been awake, Kim was glad he had been there for her.

After a while the Planeteers came in and were pleasantly surprised to find Kim awake.

A nurse came to check on her and smiled when she discovered the patient was awake. "It's good to see you're awake, Miss Dawson."

"It's good to be awake." Kim took a deep breath and winced. "Ouch."

The nurse asked if she wanted something for the pain. The brunette did so the nurse left and after a few minutes came back with some painkillers.

"It'll take some time for them take effect," she said.

After the nurse had left, Ma-Ti started. "Um, sorry but I was told we are needed."

Cap sighed. "Duty calls then." He cursed the timing but felt better about leaving now that Kim was awake, although he knew she was still far from healed.

Kim frowned, confused. "I didn't hear anything."

"Telepathy," the superhero told her simply, sure it didn't need to be explained further than that. If she asked, he would elaborate on it, though.

It seemed that wasn't necessary. "Who's at the other end?" she asked, curious.

Cap thought of how to put it. "A friend of ours," he finally said.

"Was that how you and I were able to 'talk' when I was Plunder's 'guest'?" the woman asked, putting two and two together.

Cap nodded. "Sorry, but we really have to go now."

Kim was sorry to see him go so soon but understood he had a job to do. "Come here," she said, beckoning him to come closer. He did so and Kim gave him a kiss. "For luck," the woman explained.

Cap smiled affectionately. "Just take it easy now. I'll be back before you know it. The power is yours!" The superhero left and the Planeteers' rings flared with light.

Kim decided to take a little nap until he returned. Now that the painkillers had taken effect, she could sleep without difficulty.

* * *

It was Blight and Plunder. It was obvious they had counted on Cap being miserable and were quite surprised when this was not the case.

"I know for a fact that people who are shot in the back rarely survive," MAL told Blight after they had managed to get away. "So maybe Planthead didn't care about the woman as much as Bleak said he did."

"Either that, or the fool screwed up," Blight said.

Plunder snorted. The thought was ridiculous. "He's the best mercenary I know. He doesn't screw up."

* * *

A few days later Kim was stretching her legs in the corridor, leaning on Cap a little. She had been admitted out of ICU and had insisted on getting out of bed for a moment. She had been allowed to do that, but only because of the superhero who promised to keep an eye on her. It was clear to everyone that Cap cared about the girl a lot.

The Planeteers came for a visit. "How are you feeling today?" Gi asked.

"A bit better," Kim replied. "I'm glad this guy's here with me." She smiled at Cap who had left her side only for missions. There hadn't been many of those, much to the superhero's delight, giving him a chance to be there for the woman.

He was surprised she hadn't gotten tired of him yet though, the way he had been hovering over her. "There's no place I'd rather be right now than with you."

"At least we get to spend some time together now," Kim said. "Although I can think of better ways to spend a vacation." The grin she had on her face when she looked at him told volumes. "If Plunder's men hadn't interrupted us…" The woman looked at Cap affectionately and traced the outlines of his stomach muscles with a finger.

Cap shook his head in amusement, although he was of like mind about that. Then her words of three years ago came back to him. "Remember what you said when we met? Because I do."

Kim frowned. "What did I say?" Her memory wasn't as good as the superhero's apparently was.

"'It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we do it together'," Cap quoted verbatim. "Right?"

Kim gave a laugh, trying to hide the grimace as this hurt her injured lung. Cap noted the grimace. Whether she liked it or not, it was time for her to go back to bed. "To think you still remember that."

"I guess this place is not that ideal, though," the superhero admitted. He would have much rather spent time with her at the cabin than at the hospital.

"Hopefully the food will get better," the woman chatted as if nothing had happened. "All I've gotten so far are broth and soup."

"She wouldn't have eaten even that if I hadn't fed her," Cap told the five.

Kim smiled. "I had to. You were so insistent. Besides, you liked feeding me, didn't you?"

He smiled fondly at her, having to admit she was right. "I just want you to get better, love," the superhero said. "You do have to eat so you'll get better and out of here, you know."

"I know. If you ever decide to quit being a superhero, you should be a nurse," Kim told him with a straight face. Well, he had been her personal nurse, so to speak.

"Me? A nurse?" Cap repeated, rolling his eyes. "White's really not my color so I think I'll stick to what I know best, thank you very much."

"Hey, I was joking." Kim smiled and ruffled his hair, wincing as this stretched the side where the stitches were.

Cap looked at her with concern. "You should go back to bed now, Kim. You've been up long enough."

This resulted in a bit of an argument but in the end she let him take her back to her room. He helped her lie down and sat himself down beside the bed.

"We will go and get some lunch now," Linka said and the five left.

A doctor came to see her. "How are we feeling today?" he asked.

"Better," Kim replied.

"That's good. I'd like to talk about that blood sample we took this morning," the doctor said.

"What about it?" she asked, exchanging a look with Cap. He had told her what he had done.

"We found something strange in it. We're not even sure what it is." The doctor was noticeable confused.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," Kim said, having thought fast. "I feel fine and if something does happen, Planet here will get you."

Cap nodded. "You bet." This seemed to satisfy the man so he let it go.

"Doctor, how long will have to stay here?" the brunette asked.

"Since your injuries were quite serious plus the complications you had, I'd say two or three more weeks. But it really depends on how fast you recover enough to be released." With that, the doctor left.

Having to be satisfied with this news, Kim looked at Cap, who looked thoughtful. "What's the matter, love?" she asked.

"Just wondering what my blood will do to you," the superhero told her. "Besides the obvious." Nothing had cropped up so far.

"Well, I don't feel any different and I'm not glowing or anything," Kim said. "I promise I'll tell you if something unusual happens."

Cap smiled, fondling her cheek. "See that you do."

* * *

The next couple of weeks tried both Cap's and the nurses' patience. Kim complained about having to stay in bed so much. Despite getting out of bed for her walks, her condition improved day by day.

"Never thought I'd say this," the eco-hero told the Planeteers one day. "But I'm kinda glad to go on missions once in a while, just to get away from her and her temper."

"She too much to handle?" Wheeler asked. The American sympathized with him. Linka was like that most of the time. At least to him.

Cap nodded. "And stubborn to boot."

"Wait 'til she finds out how stubborn you can be," Gi said. Unlike in this case, there had been times when the superhero's stubbornness had gotten him in trouble.

Cap grinned. "She already does. Who do you think wins our arguments? She's so cute when she pouts." He had just told the woman the facts and she couldn't dispute them.

"Will she be released soon?" Kwame asked.

"Any day now," the superhero said. Kim's recovery rate had surprised the hospital personnel. "I've been thinking of taking her to Hope Island. A change of scenery would do her good."

"Have you asked Gaia about that?" Gi asked. "Kim's an outsider you know."

"Nope," Cap admitted. "First I'll ask Kim would she want to go and then I'll ask Gaia."

"_You don't have to,"_ the superhero heard the spirit's voice in his head. _"It's fine with me."_ Gaia had figured it was time to get to know the woman her adoptive son cared so much about.

"What did she say?" Ma-Ti asked, noticing the surprised expression on Cap's face.

"She said it's fine with her," he replied, pleased about that and looked in the general direction of Kim's room. "I wonder if it's safe to go to her now." The woman had driven him out of her room again and he had left to let her cool down.

The Planeteers exchanged looks and tried to keep from laughing.

* * *

A few days later Kim was told she would be released. She was given a prescription for some antibiotics and painkillers. Cap assured the doctor he would make sure the woman would take them.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that," Kim said. She was grateful that he was there for her, though.

"And here's the medical certificate for your boss," the doctor said, handing her a paper.

Kim took it. "Thanks. I can go now?"

The doctor nodded. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Captain Planet," he said.

"The pleasure's all mine, doc," Cap said heartily. "Thanks for putting up with her." He grinned when Kim jabbed him in the arm. "Sorry but you were quite a handful."

The brunette had to admit he was right. Her impatience had gotten the better of her a number of times. Whereas his patience had been exceptional.

The doctor left, leaving the pair alone. "How long will your sick leave be?" Cap asked Kim.

She checked the certificate. "At least 5 months." Kim did some calculating in her head. "That means I won't go to work until after Christmas and New Year."

"Plenty of time," Cap commented with a smile.

"Time for what?" she asked.

He fondled her cheek. "For us to get to know each other better, love." He would not only get to know her but would also let her get to know him. The woman knew even less about him than he did about her.

Kim smiled, looking forward to it. "It sure is. But there's one problem. What am I going to wear? I can't keep these." She looked down at herself wearing the hospital clothes.

Cap gave her some clothes he had gotten from the cabin that morning. "Have I told you how wonderful you are?" Kim asked, a hand on his cheek.

"Not lately," he said and smiled.

Kim knew that to be true. She hadn't been that nice to him. "Well, you are," she said and gave him a kiss.

When she had changed her clothes Cap offered his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Kim said and they left the room. Once they got outside her face lit up when she saw Buddy waiting with the Planeteers. He was on a leash so as not to run her over in his excitement. The bandage was gone from his leg.

"I don't have to tell you what he thinks about seeing you again, do I?" Cap asked with a smile.

No, he certainly didn't have to. It was so obvious. "It's so good to see you again, boy," Kim said, hugging the dog. Buddy licked her face.

After the trip to the pharmacy Cap helped her to climb aboard the Geo-Cruiser. "You're in good hands with the Planeteers and I'll be just outside," he said. Otherwise the superhero would have travelled in the plane too, but there was no room, the craft having only six seats.

"I didn't sleep so well last night so I think I'll catch up on that now," Kim said.

Soon the Geo-Cruiser was in the air, the superhero flying beside it.


	9. Back at the cabin

**Chapter 9: Back at the cabin**

"Home sweet home," Kim said as she walked onto the verandah with her dog and friends. "I wonder how much dust has gathered over everything during these weeks we've been gone." Cap and the Planeteers exchanged looks and grinned.

The eco-hero opened the door for her and she ran a hand over his cheek gently and smiled before going in. But unlike she had expected there was no dust to be found. And it didn't take her long to figure out who was behind it. All it took was a look at Cap.

He smiled. "We did it this morning, after the mission we had. I asked the doc first when you'd be released, of course."

Kim thanked them all for what they done. "But we do have to do some shopping," she said, going to the kitchen.

Cap went to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, we don't. That's been taken care of, too."

Kim looked in the fridge and sure enough, everything was practically fresh. "My, you have been busy."

He led her to the couch. "You just relax now. Could you do that for me?"

"I'll try." Her stomach growled. "Oh, dear. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"What would you like?" Cap asked as he stood up.

"Hey, I can do that myself," Kim told him. "I'm not an invalid, you know."

"I know. But remember what I just told you?"

As Cap went to the kitchen, her cell phone rang and Kim answered it. It was her mom. After she had told her what had happened, both her mom and her dad would have wanted to come and check on her. But she told them not to worry, she was with friends and was in good hands.

In the kitchen Cap made some sandwiches, placing them onto a plate and poured some juice into a glass. He also took one of each of Kim's medication and placed the pills on the plate. The superhero was sure he would have to do a lot of persuading for her to take them.

Then he returned to the living room with them and put them on the table. "Here you are."

Kim smiled. "Thanks." She took a bite from the sandwich. The superhero had become quite at the domestic stuff. "Before you ask, yes, they were quite worried." She was sure he would ask.

"You're their daughter," Cap said and sat down next to her. "Of course they're worried."

"I just hope they won't jump in their car and zoom straight for here," she said with a sigh. And winced from the pain that was the result. "I couldn't take their fussing. You're the only one I want taking care of me now, love." She fondled his cheek.

The superhero smiled. It hadn't taken her long to consent to that. He took a pill from the plate. "Here. It looks like you need it."

She shook her head. "I can handle it." This wasn't exactly the truth but she didn't want to admit it.

But Cap was not about to give up. "You'd rather be in pain than take a pill that'll lessen it?" He placed the pill on her palm. "This is no time to be stubborn."

She already knew how stubborn he himself could be so gave up, taking both and drank some juice to wash them down. The woman also knew he meant well.

"That's a good girl. You're not used to someone taking care of you, are you?"

"No," Kim confessed. She had lived alone for so long that she had gotten used to doing things herself. "But I could get used to it." She smiled affectionately at him.

He asked her about going to Hope Island. "If you don't want to, it's alright. I just thought a change of scenery would do you good."

"I've never heard of Hope Island," Kim said. Nor had she seen it on any maps.

Cap grinned. "I'd be surprised if you had. That's where the Planeteers live. We can always come back here if you don't like it there. Deal?"

Kim nodded. "It's a deal. At least Buddy won't have to watch out for traps there."

They decided to leave the next day, so after Kim had finished her snack they went to pack some of her clothes and things. "I don't suppose I need this where we're going?" she asked, holding up a winter overcoat.

"It's a tropical island so I don't think so," the superhero replied. "But take it with you just in case the climate changes," he added with a grin.

"Very funny." Kim threw the coat at him.

It landed on Cap's head. "Hey, who turned off the lights?"

She shook her head in amusement. "Silly."

Cap smiled and threw the coat back to her. He saw a framed photo on the top of a chest of drawers. "Are those your folks?" he asked. "You look a lot like your mother," he observed after Kim had confirmed it.

She smiled. "You're not the first to say that."

They went back to the packing. "How about packing for a week?" Cap suggested. "And if you decide to stay longer, I'll come and get some more stuff." Or better yet, maybe they could both come and spend some time alone.

"Good idea," Kim agreed.

When they had packed, Cap recalled the painting of Buddy downstairs. "Hey, would you want to paint while you're there?"

Kim thought about it. "Well, I haven't done anything in a long time, but I guess I could try." She went to the chest of drawers and opened the middle drawer, taking out a sketchpad and some pens and paintbrushes, putting them in a backpack.

The pair went back downstairs. No sign of the Planeteers. "I have a hunch where they could be," Cap said.

They went to the backyard and sure enough, voices could be heard from the lake. Buddy could be seen, and heard, there too.

"Do you think they did it so we could have a little time alone?" Kim asked. They hadn't much of that lately.

The eco-hero smiled. "If they did, I'm not complaining." He sat down with her in his lap, sideways like before, her head resting on his shoulder and he had his arms around her.

Kim looked to him with gentle eyes and kissed him. "Thanks for saving my life back there, love."

"Actually, I had no idea my blood could do that," he confessed. "It was Gaia, the friend I told you about, who told me to do it."

She frowned. "If you didn't know, how did this Gaia know it would work, then?"

Cap realized he hadn't thought to ask. Not that it mattered much anymore. All that mattered to him now was that it had worked. "No idea. She was also the one who told Clash, the guy who took you to that compound, to come for you after you had been shot."

Kim remembered the man only vaguely. "It's a she, huh? How good a friend is she exactly?" she wanted to know, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, just because it's a she you're jealous?" Cap asked. This was one thing he didn't like so much.

Kim smiled, deciding not to answer that. She wondered why she even was jealous. After all, they weren't together. "So how did she know I needed help?"

"I think I'll let her explain that one," the superhero said and grinned. He was sure the woman wouldn't believe him if he told her, even if he himself knew it to be true. But she would find out once they went to island.

"No fair." She pouted, not liking to be left in the dark.

"Have I told you how cute you look when you do that?" He hadn't told this to her at the hospital but wanted to now.

"Have I told you how annoying you can be sometimes?" Kim countered. She was only half-serious about it, though.

"You know, some eco-villains have told me that too."

She ruffled his hair. "They have good reason to. Come on, can't you tell me?" the woman asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

But he stayed firm. "Nope. My lips are sealed." He brushed Kim's hair away from her neck and kissed her below the ear.

She squirmed a little as this tickled. "Fine," the woman consented. "I suppose I can wait."

The rest of the day went by quite quickly and without any surprise visitors this time. The 'Teers turned in. Cap reminded Kim to take her pills before they went to bed, too.

The next morning Cap made breakfast for Kim and this time he did bring it to her upstairs. In fact, she was still asleep when he returned to the bedroom with the tray. The superhero put the tray down on Kim's bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing at her as she slept. He reached out, brushing her hair out of her face and kissed her. Kim stirred and opened her eyes.

"Morning, love," Cap greeted her.

Kim smiled and stretched, trying to hide her wince. "Morning."

He helped her sit up on the bed. "Breakfast is served."

She fondled his cheek. "Thanks, love."

The eco-hero placed the tray on the bedspread. Kim looked it over. "Let me guess, the strawberries are for dessert?" Cap nodded. "Oh, and you even remembered the toast," she observed.

He smiled. "I got a good memory."

Kim tried the coffee and Cap wanted to know if it was better this time. "Do you see me complaining?" she asked and beckoned him closer. He did so. "If you must know," Kim said, kissing him lightly. "The coffee," she kissed him again. "Is," another kiss. "Perfect."

She ate the toast, drank the coffee and washed down the pills he handed to her with some juice with no complaints.

The eco-hero put the tray aside and took the small bowl of strawberries. He took one. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is," Kim told him with a grin.

"Could you not try to eat my fingers this time? I could need them, you know." He had discovered the woman liked to tease him in different ways, nipping at his fingers being one of them. Not that he objected her doing it.

She smiled mischievously. "I'm not promising anything, love. You just have to take your chances."

Cap sighed. "Somehow I knew you were gonna say that." Kim snickered.

He fed her the berries. The last one he placed between his teeth and Kim took it and downed it in no time, since it was a rather small one. Then they kissed. After that Cap settled beside her. She snuggled close to him.

They heard voices from the other room and then footsteps on the stairs. "Sounds like the Planeteers are awake," the eco-hero murmured, stroking Kim's hair. "I have the feeling a certain American is still in bed, though."

"Does he always sleep late?" she asked.

"So I've heard," Cap replied. "His excuse for that is that he's a growing boy and needs his sleep."

"I wouldn't call him a boy anymore," Kim commented. The American was in his twenties, after all.

"Well, he is the oldest of 'em, although he doesn't seem like it sometimes." Cap looked at her. "Speaking of ages, what's yours?"

"Hasn't anybody told you it's rude to ask a woman her age, love?" she asked and smiled. "Would you believe me if I said 40?"

This resulted in a guessing game until he reached the right number, which was 27. In return, Kim would have wanted to know how old he was but to her disappointment, he wasn't sure. She tried to determine his approximate age but it proved to be difficult with him being a superhero that had complete control over his molecules. Kim had to be satisfied with that.

They stayed like that for a while longer and then got out of bed and Kim got dressed. The pair went downstairs and into the kitchen, taking the tray with them.

Sure enough, Wheeler wasn't there but the other four were. "He should get out of bed soon if he's going to come with us," Cap said. He looked to Buddy. "Would you go and wake him up, boy?"

The dog gave a 'woof' and ran upstairs. He pushed the door open and looked at the young man for a moment before nudging Wheeler a bit with his muzzle. The boy mumbled something and turned his back on the dog. Buddy took the blanket between his teeth and dragged it off him.

"Alright, alright. I'm awake," Wheeler told him.

The dog watched as he got out of bed and dressed. He led Wheeler downstairs and to the kitchen. The redhead was told to eat his breakfast while the other four took the bedclothes and put them back in their bags. The dishes were washed and Cap brought Kim's stuff downstairs for her. She carried the backpack herself.

"It's a good thing there's not much stuff in the fridge," Kim said. She figured the easily spoiled stuff could be put in the freezer.

"You know, I remember we have a shortage of foodstuffs at Hope Island," Gi said. "We could take some from the fridge and take it with us."

"Good idea," Kim said. "That way it won't go to waste."

They also took some of Buddy's things. Kim left a note for her parents if they happened to come and check on her, telling them she had her cell phone with her if they wanted to talk to her. She also left the key to the cabin under a step. Soon they were ready to leave.

Cap decided to go and recharge. "See ya on Hope Island, love," the superhero said and gave Kim a kiss, leaving with his customary catchphrase.

The six plus the dog climbed aboard the Geo-Cruiser, Kwame taking the pilot's seat again, setting the course for home.


	10. Hope Island

**Chapter 10: Hope Island**

On the way to Hope Island, Kim insisted that the five tell her who this Gaia was, since Cap had refused to do so. It was Ma-Ti who told her. "A spirit? You serious?" Kim asked.

"Yes," the Kayapo said. "It took us a while to get used to it, too."

She digested this for a moment, supposing it could be possible since she had met a superhero. "I think I'll believe it when I see it," the woman decided. "Or her in this case." Kim looked out the Geo-Cruiser's window, scratching Buddy behind the ears. "Are there a lot of these eco-villains?" she asked after a moment, turning to look at Ma-Ti again.

The South American told her about the villains. "I don't like the sound of this Duke Nukem at all." Kim shuddered. She remembered what Cap had said about him three years ago.

It turned out they didn't get the chance to call Cap when arriving on the island. As Kwame landed the Geo-Cruiser, Gaia's voice could be heard, telling them to come to the Crystal Chamber at once.

"Was that her?" Kim asked, following the Planeteers. Buddy sniffed at the air, curious as to where the voice had come from .

"Yes," Wheeler replied.

The six plus the dog arrived at the Chamber. Kim had wanted to tag along out of curiosity. She started when Gaia appeared out of nowhere beside Planetvision.

"What is the emergency, Gaia?" Linka asked.

Kim looked around the Chamber as Gaia filled the Planeteers in about their next mission and after they had taken their bags out, they climbed aboard the Geo-Cruiser and flew away.

"Welcome to Hope Island, Kimberly," the spirit said.

"Thank you," Kim said. "How did you know my name?"

"Like the Planeteers told you, I'm the spirit of the Earth," Gaia replied, as if this explained it. "And Planet told me about you."

Kim didn't say anything for a while. So it had been true. And how else could she have just appeared like she had. Then she looked at the screens. "Quite many TVs you got."

"They are not TVs," Gaia explained. "They're called Planetvision. I monitor the Earth with them and when I detect an eco-emergency, I alert the Planeteers and send them to investigate."

Kim was sitting under a palm tree, reading a book, when the Planeteers returned. She noted Cap wasn't with them.

'_Must've needed a recharge,'_ the woman thought with a smile. "Come on, Buddy," she said to the dog, who was lying beside her on the sand. They arrived just when the Geo-Cruiser landed. "How did it go?"

"We were able to stop Duke Nukem from blowing up that power plant," Linka replied.

Since it had been Nukem, then the woman understood the superhero's need for a recharge.

They played some volleyball, the girls against the boys. For once they had even teams now that there were three girls as well.

After a while of playing Kim felt pain in her side. "I think I'll have to call it quits now, guys."

Kim went to the hut Gaia had provided for her. The pain was so intense she had to take a painkiller.

When the five tired of the game they called Cap, not because Kim asked but because they knew he wanted to be with her.

Buddy came to them and sat down in front of them, looking at the pair. "Is it my imagination or is he smiling?" Kim asked.

"Seems that way," the superhero agreed. He just hoped the dog wouldn't get his hopes up about them becoming a couple. Cap had to admit he would have wanted that too but… "How about a tour of the island?" he asked, needing something else to think about.

Kim liked that idea so leaving Buddy to play with the Planeteers the pair picked a path and walked along it. After Cap had shown her around, they sat down under a tree in a clearing. There was a brook nearby. Birds sang in the trees.

"This is a beautiful island," Kim said and smiled at the superhero.

"Gaia would be glad you think so," he said and kissed her. Cap's hand happened to stray to her torso and the brunette flinched. "Did I hurt you?" the superhero asked in concern.

Kim shook her head, biting her lip. "No, but the scars…"

His hand hadn't been even close to where the scars were. "Do they bother you this much?"

She nodded and looked away. "I feel so ugly."

How long had she entertained these kinds of thoughts? This was the first he had heard about them. Besides, her looks were not all she was. Not to him. "You're not ugly, love," Cap said.

Predictably, the woman didn't believe him. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Kim…" he tried.

"Just look at me!" she said, lifting the shirt so he could see the scars that were left from the surgery she had had. "You still think I'm not ugly?"

The scars were not so fresh anymore but they still stood out from her skin. Cap knew it would take about a year for a scar to lose its redness. But it varied from person to person. "They don't look so bad," he said soothingly.

Kim looked at him. "You mean it?"

"How many times do I have to say it?" he asked, running the back of his hand over her cheek gently. It seemed the woman had some insecurity issues.

The superhero had never lied to her. She put the shirt over herself again, apologizing for her little outburst.

He supposed it was understandable for her to feel like she did. It had been a traumatic experience. "But there are ways to make the scars more unnoticeable, if that's what you'd like."

Kim smiled. "I'll look into that."

Cap told her what he had been going to do after hearing what had happened to her, telling the woman about his empathy and why he didn't want to inflict pain to anyone, not even the vil lains, preferring other means of handling them.

The woman figured something else. "Oh, so that's how you knew Buddy had been hurt before they came to tell us."

Cap nodded. "Yeah. But when I heard that you had been shot and there was a chance you would not make it, I just couldn't think straight. My only thought was to make Bleak pay for what he'd done to you. I'm glad Gaia talked some sense into me."

Kim smiled, glad he hadn't gone through with it, too. "It was quite strange to meet a spirit," she said, changing the subject.

He grinned. "Now do you understand why I wanted you to find out yourself who Gaia was?"

"I do," Kim said. "I am in love with a superhero, after all, so a spirit doesn't really feel that strange. You sure she's just a friend, nothing more?" Again, she wondered why she felt this way.

Cap told her there was absolutely no reason for her to be jealous, hoping this wouldn't become a problem.

They were silent for a moment. Then she asked, "What's it like for you when you go to recharge?" Kim didn't like the word that much. He wasn't a battery.

The eco-hero looked at her. The woman had taken him completely by surprise with the question. "Why do you ask that?"

Kim shrugged. "Just curious, I guess."

Cap thought about it. Then he said, "Well, imagine an animal in hibernation. That's close to the state I'm in when I return to the earth. The difference is that I don't wake up until the Planeteers call me."

She rubbed at her feet. "I should have put shoes on. My feet are not used to hot sand."

"Allow me." Cap brushed the sand off and massaged the soles of her feet, cooling his hands a bit but not too much.

Kim sighed and closed her eyes. "That feels so good," she murmured. His hands were better than an ice pack.

"That's good to hear, since this is my first time massaging anyone," he said, pleased that the woman enjoyed herself.

"Not bad for a beginner," Kim said. How good would the superhero be at massaging her shoulders? Maybe she would find out one of these days.

"I've heard that one before," he said and grinned. If he kept this up, he would not be a beginner anymore on a lot of things.

Then they just lay there, Kim's head on Cap's chest. He stroked her hair.

Next day, now that she had settled in, it was time for some swimming lessons. As had been agreed, it was Gi who was to teach the woman.

Buddy followed into the water with the two but Cap called him back to the beach. "Let's not interfere with the lesson, alright?" He didn't want there to be any distractions for the woman.

Soon Kim had to call it quits because she had a cramp in her leg. She came to Cap, shaking out her leg to get rid of the annoying cramp.

"Here you are." He handed her a towel. "Is it bad?"

"Thanks, love," Kim said and smiled, wrapping the towel around herself. "Don't worry, it's easing already."

"Want to stop for today?" Gi asked, still in the water.

"I'm up for another lesson later, if that's OK with you," Kim said. This was OK with the Water Planeteer.

She sat down beside Cap. "I don't know why I didn't get around to learning this when I was a kid. What with the lake at home and all."

"Well, better late than never, as the saying goes," the superhero commented. "The week is almost up, by the way. So do we go back to the cabin, or what?"

"We're going back," Kim said and paused for a second. "To get more stuff."

Cap sighed. "And here I thought you liked…" He did a double take, the woman's words registering on him. "Oh."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Like I said, this is a beautiful island. And you're right. I needed a change of scenery." She had been cooped up in the cabin for far too long.

"And maybe we'll get some alone time, too," Cap said, noticing the Planeteers watching them. The pair hadn't had much time alone. Even the place they had claimed as theirs wasn't that private.

"So when do we leave?" Kim asked, eager for some alone time.

"How's tomorrow sound?" Cap asked, sharing the woman's eagerness.

It suited her fine. The pair spent some time together before the swimming lessons continued.


	11. Just the two of us

**Chapter 11: Just the two of us**

The next day, even before Cap and Kim reached the Crystal Chamber, Gaia approached them and told the eco-hero he wouldn't be needed that day. "You just enjoy yourselves."

Cap smiled, for once glad the spirit had kept an eye on them. "Thanks, Gaia."

Buddy ran to them and whined. "Sorry, boy, but you'll have to stay here," Kim told the dog.

"Your mistress and I need some alone time," Cap said and gave the dog a scratch. The dog seemed to understand, judging from the way he sat down and wagged his tail.

Hoping Gaia understood this too, the superhero stepped behind Kim and wrapped his arms around her middle. Cap did expect her to protest but she didn't. It seemed she had gotten over at least most of her revulsion of the scars. "Here we go. Ready?"

"Ready," she replied.

Cap jumped into the air. "See ya later!" he called to Gaia. She watched them go and smiled.

* * *

They had been flying for some time when Kim gasped. "Don't worry, love," Cap assured her, thinking the woman thought he didn't have a good grip on her. "I won't let you fall."

"It's not that," she told him. "Look." The superhero looked in the direction she pointed and saw a pod of dolphins jumping in the water. "I've always liked dolphins," Kim said. "Could we go and take a closer look?"

"Sure," he said with a smile. Maybe the woman would hit it off well with Gi, who liked all sea creatures, including dolphins. Cap descended until they were just a couple of meters from the surface of the ocean. One of the creatures noticed them and squeaked. "He says hi," he translated.

"Well, hi to you, too," Kim greeted. One dolphin raised its tail and splashed water on the flying pair. "Oh, great," she said and wiped some water from her face.

The superhero flew higher again. "I'm sure he was just fooling around," he explained the animal's behaviour. "Was this your first close encounter?"

Kim nodded. "I've only seen them from a distance before," she told him. "Thank you for the experience." The woman's delight outweighed the fact that she had gotten wet.

Cap smiled, just glad she had enjoyed it. "You're very welcome." He turned up the heat so she wouldn't get a cold. If she did, that would probably be a bad thing where her injured lung was concerned.

* * *

They passed the clearing and soon Cap landed near the cabin gently and set Kim down. They went inside, packing some things and he brought the bags downstairs to wait for the return trip.

"Good thing I took a couple of sandwiches with me," Kim said and opened the package she had taken with her and took a bite.

"You do need something to wash it down with," Cap said and got her some water. "Here."

Kim smiled and took the glass. "Thanks, love." She took a plate for the sandwiches. They went to the living room and sat down on the couch. Kim put the glass and the plate on the table.

When she had finished eating she snuggled up to Cap and they just sat there in silence. After a while Kim looked at him and their eyes met. Without a word, Cap caught her lips in his and soon they were lying down on the couch, Kim on top of the superhero. She crossed her arms on his chest and rested her chin on them.

Cap put his hands behind his head, resting it on the armrest. "I could get used to this," he admitted.

Kim didn't know what to make of his comment. Was he thinking about what she thought he was thinking about? She didn't want to get her hopes up. "Me too. But we both know that when my sick leave is over…"

"Let's not talk about that now, alright?" All he wanted now was enjoy what they had and not worry about things to come.

"Even if we don't talk about it, it's still true," Kim told him. She hated to bring him down but she couldn't help being a realist.

Cap sighed. "I know." He smiled a little. "But I don't regret having met you. You changed my life."

She smiled and ran fingertip along his arm. "You changed mine, too." But she was sure her life hadn't changed as much as his. Unlike her, the superhero hadn't had any romantic relationships before meeting her. "This may sound crazy, but I feel like we were meant to meet each other."

"It doesn't sound crazy at all," he told her. "I feel the same way. How else would you explain us falling in love so fast?" That had never happened to him before, even though he had met a few women, none of them able to catch his eye. He supposed he just hadn't met the right woman. Until now.

"Yeah," Kim agreed. "That only happens in movies and such. I mean, I don't believe in destiny or anything, but three days…" It still amazed her. But was she complaining? Not at all.

Cap shrugged. "I guess it just happens like that sometimes. But I don't really care if it's destiny or not." And if it was, he liked what destiny had brought him, even if it was temporary.

"Me neither," Kim said.

They were silent for a while again, just lazing around. "Um, are we going to lie here the whole day or what?" he asked.

"I wouldn't mind at all," Kim said and fondled his cheek. "But it is a beautiful day outside. It'd be a shame to waste it."

"So are you gonna get off me?" he asked when the woman didn't move.

"Why don't you just do it the other way?" she suggested, looking at him.

"You mean…?" Kim nodded, on the same page with him. "I've never tried it with someone," the eco-hero said. "You willing to take the risk of it not working right? Coz I'm not."

She put her head back down on his chest. "I'm too tired to get up."

"I'd call it lazy," Cap commented with a grin and stroked her hair.

"Call it whatever you want," Kim mumbled.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep on me, are you?" he asked, getting a brief flashback from three years ago.

"Of course not." She sat up on his legs. Cap bent his legs so Kim could sit on the couch. He sat up too and stood up, offering a hand to help the woman up.

They went to the verandah and he lifted her onto his arms. Kim smiled and nuzzled his neck.

"The lake?" Cap asked.

"Sounds good to me," Kim said.

The eco-hero walked to the lake and set her down under a tree, settling down beside her. Kim snuggled up to the superhero.

Cap sighed. She looked up at him. "Something wrong, love?"

He smiled. "Quite the opposite, actually." The superhero cupped Kim's chin and looked into her eyes. "Things couldn't be better," he added and kissed her.

'_If he only knew the effect his eyes have on me,'_ she thought. The woman was going to mention this fact to the superhero but thought it best not to. She was sure that if she did, he would probably exploit it in some way.

When he was going to pull back, Kim put a hand to the back of his head and pulled him down so they were lying on the grass. Cap moved a little to the side, not wanting to put all his weight on her. When they finally did pull back, both were breathless, Kim a bit more then Cap.

"I love you," she said.

The superhero smiled affectionately. "I love you more," he countered.

Kim quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Cap grinned, shifting his position and got onto his side, leaning his head on his hand. "It's so strange to not have Buddy here," he said, running a finger along her jaw line.

Kim had to agree on that. "Yeah, I keep expecting him to barge in or something," She got on her side too. "But at least we won't be interrupted."

The superhero smiled and ran his finger from her chin down her arm. Taking her hand in his he kissed the back of it and going along the arm to the shoulder.

Kim giggled. "That tickle?" he asked, giving the tip of her nose a kiss.

"A little," she replied with a smile. "Which reminds me, I have yet to find where you're ticklish from."

Cap grinned. "I'm not even sure I am ticklish," he admitted. "But you're welcome to try."

"We'll see." Kim reached out and brushed her fingertips along his side, her eyes on his.

The sound of a car engine was heard from the direction of the cabin. "Who could that be?" Cap wondered, trying to see.

Kim took one look and sighed. "So much for not getting interrupted. I'll give you one guess."

He looked back at her. There was only one thing that could have made her react like she had. "Your parents?"

"Bingo," she replied. "I didn't bring my cell with me. So my guess is that they tried to call me and when I didn't answer…"

The pair watched as her parents went inside and came out again. Cap could see they were quite concerned. "You better go to them and tell 'em you're alright," he advised her.

Knowing how overprotective they could be sometimes, Kim agreed. "I will." She sat up and looked at him. "Want to come with me?" Thinking that the superhero would say no, she continued before he had a chance to say anything. "They probably want to hear the whole story about me being shot," she said. "And I don't want to leave anything out. You did save my life, after all."

He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't gonna say no." Briefly he wondered what her folks would say when they found out who their daughter was in love with.

Kim smiled. "I guess I jumped to conclusions, sorry about that." She took his hand in hers. "Come on, then."

But before they got even close to the cabin, her parents got back into their car and drove away.

Exchanging a look, the pair went back inside. The woman saw a note attached to the doorframe of the kitchen. Taking it, she glanced over it.

"What's it say?" Cap wanted to know.

"Looks like they just dropped by to put some stuff in the fridge," Kim replied. "I think I'll check what they brought, since I'm hungry."

"I would have wanted to meet your folks," Cap said. Only after he had said, he realized how true it was.

Kim smiled. "Now that I think about it, it wouldn't have been a good idea. Dad would probably get a heart attack."

"Hey, I may look different, but I'm not a monster." The superhero crossed his arms on his chest, looking hurt. He wasn't, but thinking she had joked, pretended to be.

But Kim thought he really was upset. "I didn't mean it that way, love," she said and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him and reached out a hand to his cheek. "I just meant that…"

Cap grinned. "Gotcha."

For a moment Kim just stared at him. "You think a heart problem is funny, do you!" she yelled at him and disengaged her arms from around him, marching to the backdoor.

Cap did a double take. "Heart problem? Kim, I'm…" he began as Kim opened the door and stepped outside. She slammed the door shut. "…sorry."

'_Way to go Planet,'_ the superhero berated himself, punching the mirror in frustration but catching himself in time, so he didn't make too much damage to the wall behind it. He hoped the mirror hadn't been that valuable. Or some family heirloom.

Cap figured she had calmed down enough now so he stepped outside, finding her crouched down and unmistakably sobbing. He went to her and knelt down on one knee.

"Making fun of your father wasn't my intention, love," he said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "How could I have known about his heart problem?"

Sniffing, Kim looked at him. True, he hadn't known. Yet another thing he had found out about the wrong way. But this hadn't been something that had to do with her personally. She had assumed that was what the superhero had meant when he had asked her to tell him, no matter how insignifact she thought it would be. "I know that. My temper just got the better of me. Again."

Cap smiled. "I gathered that." He had had a taste of her temper at the hospital already.

"Dad's heart has just been a touchy subject for me ever since I heard about it," she told him as they both stood up. "I've always been a daddy's girl and don't want to lose him."

The superhero brushed her tears away, hugging her. It was obvious she cared about her father a lot so he understood her outburst. But still, he really should think sometimes before fooling around.

The woman's stomach growled and she gave a laugh. "That reminds me. I was going to get something to eat before we had that, um, disagreement."

"If that's what you want to call it," Cap said and grinned. Kim stuck out her tongue at him. The superhero chuckled. Then he remembered the mirror. "There is something you should know before we go back inside."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I got myself 7 years of bad luck," he said, quite sure the woman would understand what he meant.

Kim did. "You broke the mirror?"

"Uh huh," the superhero confirmed with a nod. He couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed about that. "Didn't mean to. Almost demolished the wall too, but caught myself in time."

"You were that upset about all this?" she asked in surprise.

Cap nodded again. "Yeah. Just goes to show that super-strength's not that good to have when upset."

Kim ruffled his hair, shaking her head and smiling affectionately. She was actually amused by his embarrassment. "It was just a mirror," the woman told him. "No big deal."

"I would never…" he began.

"Hush," she interrupted, wanting to put the matter to rest, not really listening. "Sometimes you just talk too much, hon," she said, fondling his cheek.

The eco-hero smiled. "Sorry, I'll try to rectify that." He wrapped his arms around the woman and kissed her gently.

'_Wow,'_ Kim thought. "Mmm…" Taking this to mean she wanted to stop, Cap was about to pull back. '_No, don't stop…'_ Kim put one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his head, deepening the kiss.

Noticing this, Cap didn't pull back. _'I gotta learn how to read her better.'_ When he did pull back, they gazed at each other in silence, Kim breathing hard.

They went inside. Kim went to the fridge and checked what her folks had brought. "We'll have take some of this with us or put it in the freezer," she said.

"Did they bring that much stuff?" Cap asked. They would apparently have their hands full on the way back. He wondered if he was able to carry everything.

"They sure did." Kim took out a container. "This will be fine. I don't feel like cooking anything from scratch now." She opened the lid and put the container in the microwave.

After she had eaten, they cleaned up the mess in the hall, picking up all the mirror shards. It didn't take long for the job to be done. Kim put the bag outside beside the front door. "The wall's not so bad," she observed, coming back in and looking at the said wall. "I don't think it needs to be fixed much."

"Hmm," Cap said thoughtfully. "Let's see if I can do something here." He went to stand in front of the damaged part of the wall and held up his hand, which started to glow faintly.

"What are you doing?" Kim asked, looking from him to the wall.

"Trying to fix it," the superhero said, frowning a little. If he had broken it, he would fix it, too. "Not sure if it'll work, though. This isn't exactly a tree, although it's wood." It was slow but he managed it.

After about 10 minutes, Cap lowered his hand and wiped his forehead. "Whew." He staggered.

"Are you alright?" Kim asked, worry evident on her face. "Here, lean on me."

Cap smiled. "Thanks, love." He put his hand on her shoulder to steady himself. "Guess that took more out of me than I realized it would."

"Nothing a little sun won't fix, right?" she asked and glanced outside. The sun wasn't shining.

The pair exchanged looks. "Guess it's the lake, then," Cap said.

"Can you make it that far?" Kim asked. There had only been the couple situations involving him getting weakened so she wasn't sure how much he really could handle.

"It's not that bad," the eco-hero said, having experienced similar situations daily. "Don't worry."

She smiled a little. Despite his assurances, Kim could help but worry. They went outside and headed for the lake. She didn't let go of Cap until they reached the jetty. He kissed her briefly and jumped in the lake.

Sometime later, when there was no sign of the superhero Kim was getting worried. The surface of the lake was smooth except for a few ripples showing here and there. If she had been more confident in the water, she would have gone looking for him.

More time passed. _'I hope anything hasn't happened down there,' _Kim thought._ 'Anything bad that is.'_ She had to remind herself he was an environmental superhero and probably had his way of dealing with stuff like this.

Finally Cap's head poked out of the water beside the jetty. "Don't ever do that again," Kim told him.

"Do what?" he asked, confused as to what the woman meant.

"You were down there for a long time," she said. "I was getting worried."

"Sorry," the superhero said. He realized they hadn't talked about his ability to be in water just like if it had been air manipulating his molecules. "I was just exploring."

"What's there to explore?" Kim asked, frowning. "It's just a lake."

"Well, it's not like I get to swim in a lake every day," Cap pointed out. Especially just for fun. "This is one of the cleanest I've seen so far."

Kim smiled and dangled her leg over the side, toes in the water. She stirred the water with her foot and snickered when she saw the way Cap was looking at her.

"You're teasing me, aren't you?" he asked. Wouldn't be the first time.

Kim grinned. "Maybe." She so enjoyed doing that and he hadn't complained so far.

Cap shook his head in amusement, boosting himself out of the water and sat down beside her.

"Feeling better?" Kim asked and sat up.

The superhero smiled. "Much better, thanks."

"You didn't have to fix that wall, you know," she said. "It wasn't that bad."

"I know," Cap said. "But since I broke it I felt I had to fix it, too." He glanced at the sun, which was visible again. It was still quite high but would be out of sight in a couple of hours. "I think we better get back to Hope Island."

Kim pouted. "Do we have to?" Was he in a hurry to get back for some reason?

"If you hadn't noticed, the sun's setting," the eco-hero pointed out. "And I'd rather not travel in the dark." He wouldn't fly at the same altitude as planes did but wanted to be careful.

"It is?" she asked in surprise, glancing at the barely visible orb. Time sure flew when you had fun. She ran a finger over his chest. "Couldn't we stay the night?"

Cap smiled. He liked that idea. But his sense of duty overrode it. "That would be nice. But what if there's an eco-emergency early tomorrow?"

Kim bit her lower lip. She had completely overlooked that. "You have a point."

The woman looked so disappointed that he chose ignore his sense of duty for once. "I could ask Gaia about that, of course."

"How…?" she began before remembering. "Oh, yeah. Telepathy." Kim just didn't get how the spirit would possibly know that in advance. "Please do."

He nodded. "Just a sec." The superhero closed his eyes and reached out._"Gaia?"_

The answer came almost immediately._"Yes, Planet? Enjoying yourself?"_ The spirit had respected their privacy and hadn't kept an eye on them.

"_Very much so," _Cap replied._ "Listen, Kim asked me to ask you something."_

"_What's that?"_ The spirit had a hunch it hadn't been Kim who had suggested he contact her.

"_Is there an eco-emergency to be expected tomorrow?" _the superhero enquired._ "I mean in the morning? Coz we'd like to spend the night here at the cabin."_

There was a pause._"Not to my knowledge," _she told him, glad that the superhero wanted some R&R for a change._ "But head back first thing in the morning, alright?"_

"_We will."_ He would have done that regardless.

"_Watch it or she'll have you under her thumb, Planet,"_Gaia said and chuckled.

"_What a lovely thumb it would be,"_Cap quipped._"But I'll hold my own. See you tomorrow then."_

With that, he opened his eyes, focusing on Kim again. "She said we have to leave, didn't she?" she asked, expecting bad news. It had seemed to her that the conversation hadn't taken that long.

Cap smiled. "Quite the opposite."

Kim's face lit up. "Really? We can stay?"

"Yeah, we can," he confirmed, stroking her hair. "What d'ya say we drop by the clearing?" Although it wasn't an actual clearing anymore, it had been one when they had met. So it was easier to refer to the place as such.

Kim didn't have be asked twice. The pair stood up and started walking along the path, hand in hand. They got to the clearing and sat down below a tree. The place had changed so much since they had been there last.

Kim looked to the superhero and smiled. "This is where it all began." She snuggled up to him.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," Cap said and kissed her. The two of them sat there in silence, in each other's arms. "Should we be heading back?" he asked when it was getting dark.

As if on cue, Kim yawned. "No objections from me."

They walked back to the cabin and upstairs to the bedroom. "I think I'll change to something more comfortable," Kim said, getting an idea. "You go ahead. I'll be with you in a minute." She brushed his cheek lightly and went in the walk-in closet.

Cap lay down, putting his hands behind his head on the pillow. _'I could really get used to this. But like she said, it's back to reality after her sick leave is over.'_

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Kim coming out. "Why the frown, love?"

"Oh, I didn't realize I…," Cap trailed off as he saw her. Kim was wearing a purple silky nightgown, reaching halfway to her thigh. She grinned at his expression. The superhero realized he was staring. "Uh… It-it looks nice. I mean, you…" He took a deep breath. "Wow."

Kim climbed in beside him and snickered. She had wanted to see how he would react to something he didn't expect. "Speechless, huh? Never thought I'd see that." She got on her side.

Cap smiled and got on his side, too. He looked into her eyes and touched Kim's cheek, then running the hand down to the shoulder and along her arm. Then he pulled her closer and kissed her.

When they pulled back from the kiss, the superhero stroked Kim's hair, having collected his thoughts enough to form an intelligible sentence. "Let me try that again. You look lovely," he murmured.

The brunette smiled. "Thought you'd like it." She kissed Cap's neck.

"I thought you were tired," he said, closing his eyes in enjoyment.

"Not that tired," she said and nuzzled his cheek.

The eco-hero kissed Kim's neck and then her shoulder, moving the shoulder strap out of the way.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling.

And tried to stifle a yawn, not succeeding. "Sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." Kim would have liked to continue, though.

Cap smiled. He understood she needed her sleep. "That's alright." He put the shoulder strap back in place, kissing Kim one more time on the mouth.

They lay down, Kim snuggling up to him, putting her head on his shoulder, her arm resting on his chest.

Cap put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Good night, love."

"Good night," she said sleepily and adjusted her position a little. It wasn't long before she was asleep.


	12. Decisions for the future

**Chapter 12: Decisions for the future**

The next morning, after Kim had dressed and eaten her breakfast, they prepared to go back to Hope Island.

"Maybe we could take some of the games I have with us, too," the brunette said. "That is, if it's OK with you," she added, looking at him. He was the one who would be carrying the load, after all.

This was fine with the superhero. "Well, if we take enough stuff with us now," he said. "That'll save us the trouble of coming here to get more so often."

"I wouldn't mind coming here," Kim said. "Gives us a chance to be alone."

The superhero grinned, admitting he would not mind that either. "We can be alone on Hope Island too, when we really want to. Remember the clearing with the brook? That could be our place."

Although, if they wanted complete privacy, they would really have to make the trip to the cabin, out from under Gaia's eye.

Kim smiled. "That is a beautiful spot." She especially liked the brook.

"Why don't you go and pick some games to take with and I'll ask someone to come and pick us up and give us a lift back to Hope Island?" Cap suggested.

"Give us a lift?" she asked. "You too lazy?"

He chuckled, knowing it wasn't an accusation and didn't take it as such. She should have known Captain Planet and lazy didn't fit in the same sentence. "No, but we already have two bags, plus the one with the food, and it's going to be tricky with more." He couldn't carry all the stuff and he thought of her comfort too.

Kim hadn't thought of that. "Oh, I see what you mean."

So as she went to gather some games, Cap contacted Gaia and told her to ask one of the Planeteers to come and get them. The spirit promised to do so.

* * *

The Geo-Cruiser landed near the cabin and Wheeler stepped out. "Heard you guys needed a lift," the redhead said. "Have you suddenly lost your wings?" he asked Cap.

The superhero rolled his eyes. "Not you, too." Kim snickered.

After seeing all the stuff that would be taken along, Wheeler understood the request and helped to put the bags in the plane. Then the Geo-Cruiser lifted off and he set the course, switching on the autopilot.

After 10 minutes of flying, Cap, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, having decided to travel in the plane this time, looked over at the American. The boy hadn't said a word.

"What's the matter, Wheeler?" the superhero asked. "You're usually not this quiet."

"Nothin'," the redhead replied.

But Cap wasn't satisfied with that. "Come on, firebug," he insisted. "I know you. Something is clearly weighing on you." It was as clear as day.

The fire-thrower sighed. "It's Linka, as usual. I managed to make her angry again."

"Again?" Kim asked. The woman was sitting behind Wheeler. This was the umpteenth time this week. "Just get it over with already."

Wheeler looked at the woman. "Huh?"

"I think you know what I mean." She had been on the island long enough to see for herself how the two felt for each other. If you knew what to look for, that is.

The redhead frowned. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Maybe it wasn't but he didn't have to be so rude about it. "Well, excuse me," she muttered.

Cap reached out and put his hand on Kim's. He looked at Wheeler. "That wasn't very nice, was it?" he asked quietly. "She may not be a part of the team but as long as she's with us, we'll include her in our business," the eco-hero told the boy. "Got that?" He saw Kim smile a little at this.

For a moment, Wheeler didn't know what to do. Then he apologized for his attitude. "I didn't mean to." The redhead explained that he had just been so bummed.

Kim understood that. She thought it best not to give any more advice on the subject, though. The Fire Planeteer would handle the Russian as he saw fit.

The woman looked at Cap. "Do you really think of me as one of you, Blue?"

He smiled and put his hand on hers again. "Yes, love, I do." Even if she wasn't officially, that's how he thought of her. Maybe they could stay in contact after her sick leave was over…

* * *

The other Planeteers and Buddy were waiting for them when they landed. The dog almost made Kim fall over in his excitement.

"Had a good time?" Gi asked.

"What do you think?" Kim asked back with a grin, trying to calm her dog. "Buddy, please settle down already."

The boys helped the woman carry her stuff to her hut. After that was done, the group gathered in the common hut. It had begun to rain.

"What do you say we try out this game Kim brought with her," Ma-Ti said, showing the rest the Trivial Pursuit box. The others didn't object. At least it was something to do while they waited for the rain to stop.

"Have you played it before?" Kim asked just in case they were unfamiliar with the game.

"No, I have not," the Kayapo admitted. They mostly had video games on the island. "That is why I would like to try it. You will have to explain the rules, though."

"Sure." She looked at Cap. "Remember when we played this?"

He smiled, remembering it very well. "Sure do. Speaking of that, I think I'll just watch."

"Afraid we'll beat ya?" Wheeler asked with a grin.

"More likely he'll beat us at it," Kim said. "As I recall, he knew almost every question I asked." Despite the amnesia, his knowledge hadn't been affected.

"I let you win, didn't I?" Cap pointed out.

She smiled. "That you did. Although I wouldn't have been a sore loser, if you had won."

He grinned. "It's easy to say now." But they would find out if it was true soon enough.

It was suggested that Cap would be the one asking the questions, so he wasn't left out. He agreed to do it. The Planeteers chose their game pieces so that the colors matched their powers. Kim explained the rules and soon the game was on. When Gaia appeared among them, saying there was an eco-emergency Gi was in the lead with three triangles in her game piece.

Before Cap left though, Kim told him to be careful. "Aren't I always?" he asked and kissed her. She decided not to remind him of the previous time he had assured her that he would be careful.

After Gaia had explained the mission and the Planeteers had left, Kim went for a walk, wandering around the island with Buddy, lost in thought.

* * *

As the months passed, Kim and Cap got to know each other better, like they had meant to. Their feelings only deepened for each other, if that was possible. Once Gi found out about her fascination for dolphins, the two hit it off and became friends. Kim also drew some sketches and painted them. There was a few of Cap, the Planeteers or just of the island.

Also during this time, progress could be seen with Wheeler and Linka. It was slow but after Wheeler had gotten the nerve to tell her how he felt, he was surprised to find she felt the same way.

Soon it was December and the Planeteers were on a mission again. Gaia found Kim on the beach, looking out to sea.

"Planet used to do that, too," the spirit said. The superhero had spent long moments just sitting on the sand and staring at the horizon. Just like the woman did now.

Kim had been so lost in thought that she jumped. "Oh, hi Gaia. I didn't hear you coming." She had gotten used to the spirit appearing out of nowhere but this time Gaia had taken her completely by surprise.

Gaia smiled. "Sorry to startle you."

"What was that you said about Blue doing something?" Kim had taken the habit of calling the superhero by the name she had come up for him. It had become a pet name now.

"He used to look out to sea like this, too," the spirit of Earth explained.

Kim stood up. "Yeah, he told me." The pair had spent long moments just talking.

"Is something bothering you?" Gaia asked. "You've been distracted." The spirit knew what it possibly was, considering the time of year.

"It's a subject both of us have been avoiding," the brunette said, proving Gaia's hunch right. "My sick leave will be over soon." She wasn't looking forward to the goodbyes and knew Cap wasn't either.

The sound of the returning Geo-Cruiser interrupted her. She smiled when she saw Cap flying beside the plane and waved. The superhero smiled and waved back. He dematerialized from the sky, and appeared where Kim was and kissed her.

She wrapped her arms around him. "What took you so long?"

"We weren't gone that long, were we, Gaia?" Cap asked.

"Not longer than usual, I guess," the spirit said, watching Linka and Wheeler go to the common hut hand in hand. Now that they were an item, it hadn't done anything to stop the Russian's complaining about the redhead's habits at times.

Kim sighed. She was glad the two had ended up together but it also reminded her of the situation with Cap.

The superhero looked at her. "What's the matter, love?"

"Have you noticed what time of year it is?" Surely he remembered what they had agreed to do.

Of course Cap had noticed. He had thought of nothing else for the past couple of weeks but had kept it to himself. "Yeah. Speaking of that, I want to talk." He had come to a decision and wanted to ask the woman something that could have an impact on both of their futures, depending on her answer. The superhero had come to realize even he could have something to call his own. Maybe it had been partly or entirely because of what had happened with Wheeler and Linka.

"About what?" Kim wanted to know.

Cap wanted to talk about that in private. "Not here. Come on." The pair left.

"What is going on with those two, Gaia?" Ma-Ti asked, joining the spirit with Kwame and Gi.

"Soon it's time for Kim to go home," she replied. "Neither of them is taking it well." The spirit had a feeling something was about to change, though.

* * *

The pair had gone to their clearing. "These past months have been the best time of my life," Cap was saying. "This island's going to feel so empty without you."

"Let's not say goodbye yet, handsome," Kim told him, pressing up to him. "Come here." She put her arms around him and kissed him.

When she pulled back, the eco-hero looked a bit disappointed. "Was that it?"

Kim grinned. "No, I just needed to get some air." She didn't wait for an answer, just kissed him again, this time in a way she was sure he would remember for a long time. After they pulled back again, the brunette snuggled close to the superhero. "Was that better?"

He smiled. "You bet." It had been one of the best kisses they had ever shared.

They were quiet for a long time, just sat there in each other's arms. Cap decided to just come right out with what he had intended to ask her. "Kim, what would you say if I asked you to stay?"

The question took Kim completely by surprise. "What did you say?" She wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.

The superhero didn't think he had to repeat himself, though. "You heard me."

"But I thought…" she began. When had he had a change of heart? He hadn't given any indication of this. At least not to her. Or maybe she hadn't just seen it.

"I know," Cap said. "Both of us were so set that after your sick leave is over, you'd go home. But it doesn't have to be that way." The superhero smiled affectionately, fondling her cheek. He didn't want to say goodbye to her.

"Is this a joke?" Kim asked. If this was a joke, it wasn't a very good one.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Cap asked gently. He did have a tendency to joke around but this was something he didn't want to joke around about. But he couldn't blame her for not believing him.

The woman studied the azure face. There was no trace of a smile, nothing to indicate he was anything but in earnest. "You are serious."

"I sure am," the superhero confirmed. "Let's just say I've come to my senses." He wondered why it had taken him so long to get it. "I've never been surer about anything in my life," Cap added. "Well, except my feelings for you, that is."

Kim remembered the original reason for their break up. But she now knew it hadn't been the only reason. "But what about…"

"I don't care about the villains," he interrupted her, knowing that was what she had been going to say. "It's only you and me that matter." He met her eyes and smiled. "The thing is, we've been given another chance here, honey. We already lost three years. Let's not lose more."

The woman smiled. She couldn't think while he was looking at her like that so she stood up, went to the brook nearby and sat down, swirling the surface of the water with her fingers. It was so tempting to just say yes but for some reason she still had doubts.

Cap watched her for a minute, then got up and went to her, kneeling beside her. "What is it, Kim? What's wrong? If you're afraid that I'll hurt you…"

She didn't dare look at him. "It's not that. I know you wouldn't do that, despite your strength." He hadn't done anything to make her believe otherwise, being so gentle with her in everything he did.

"Then what?" the superhero wanted to know.

Now Kim looked at him, biting her lip. "What if you change your mind later?"

So that had been the issue. "That's something I know I won't do," Cap assured her. "So what'd you say? Let's take the risk." He didn't know about her but this was the biggest risk he would take, at least on a personal level. But for the sake of his happiness, he was going to take it.

"Do you really think it would work?" she asked.

"It has for 5 months, hasn't it?" He took her face between his hands gently. "Kim, I don't want to lose you, not again. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Kim had to admit that it had. '_You are the best thing that's happened to me too, superhero of mine,'_ she thought. _'So why do I hesitate?'_

Cap didn't know what to make of her silence. Was it because she didn't know what to say or was she trying to think of a polite to say no? "If you don't want to stay, love, just say so and I'll shut up."

She did want to stay, more than anything. _'Say something, woman!'_ Kim told herself.

The blue-skinned hero stroked the brunette's hair gently. "I'll take you home right now if that's what you want. But it won't be the same…"

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. "Hush. I am home." She realized she had come to think of the island as her home instead of the cabin. Her home was in the superhero's arms. Well, the cabin was sort of a home away from home.

A goofy grin spread itself on Cap's face as the woman's words sank in. "You mean it?" Did she really think of the island as her home now?

Kim nodded. "Yes, silly," she said. "So let's give it a try and take a risk, like you said." After all, if you didn't take risks, you didn't accomplish anything.

Cap smiled. "You have no idea how happy you've made me." He was so happy he could burst. To think she was going to stay with him!

She fondled his cheek, happy beyond words. "I think I have some idea."

The superhero took her into his arms. "I love you so much, Kimberly Dawson," he said.

The way he looked at her made her heart skip. "I love you too, Blue." Their lips met.


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"I have no objections," Gaia said, when the pair told her and the Planeteers the news. "You were starting to feel like a part of the family." Especially if the woman made her adoptive son so happy, who was she to deny the woman a place on the island?

"Thanks Gaia," Kim said, smiling. She was glad the spirit would allow her to stay. The brunette didn't wonder about it though, knowing what she did about the spirit's and the superhero's relationship.

"Everything turned out for the best, then," Ma-Ti said, able to sense the loving atmosphere between the two even without the help of his ring.

"It was his idea," she said, indicating Cap.

He put an around Kim's shoulders. She put her head on his shoulder as was her habit. "I just didn't want to lose her again. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner."

"Like three years ago?" Wheeler asked, having his own arm around Linka's waist.

The superhero nodded. "You got it." He knew he couldn't take back those years, having only himself to blame for that.

The cell phone rang in Kim's pocket. "Perfect timing," she said when she checked who it was. "Saves me the trouble of calling them."

"It's your folks, huh?" the superhero guessed.

Kim nodded and answered the cell phone. "Hi, dad. Yeah, couldn't be better. Listen, I have some news. Mom's there with you? Good."

She told her parents the news. "You wanted me to move out of the cabin, didn't you? Well, remember the guy I told you about a few years back? Yeah, the one who gave me that crystal rose." The woman was silent for a minute, listening. "Mom wants to talk? Sure, put her on." She listened patiently for what her mom wanted to say. "You think I'm taking a big risk? Well, I'm taking it. Why? I love him. Yes, he loves me too. Mom, I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself." Kim rolled her eyes.

Cap chuckled. It seemed her parents were a little overprotective at times. She was their only child so he figured it was normal.

"Yeah, I'll tell you the whole story some day," the brunette promised. "But now, I think I'll go and spend some quality time with my man."

He smiled. "I like the sound of that." The superhero would make sure she could be proud to call him "her man".

Kim brushed a finger under his chin. She was silent again for a while, listening. "Oh, you'd want to meet this guy, huh? Maybe you will mom, maybe you will. I gotta go. Talk to you later. Bye." She hung up.

Wasting no more time, Cap scooped the woman onto his arms. "What d'ya say we go to your hut for that quality time you mentioned?"

She smiled and put her arms around his neck, having no objections to that. "Sounds good to me."

"See ya later," the eco-hero said to the others and walked to her hut, carrying the woman he loved. He went inside and closed the door with his foot.


End file.
